Quartet

– Quartet is the story of a girl who, adrift with her feckless husband amidst the literati of glitteri..

Type:
Movie
Rating:
6.50 / 10
Duration:
One Hour and 41 Minutes
Release Year:
1981
Quartet (1981)

Quartet is the story of a girl who, adrift with her feckless husband amidst the literati of glittering Paris in the 1920s, becomes entrapped by a rich and sybaritic English couple. Adapted from the wistful, melancholy autobiographical novel by Jean Rhys, Quartet is full of intense confrontations dazzlingly acted by Alan Bates, Maggie Smith, Anthony Higgins, and Isabelle Adjani. This is one of the Merchant Ivory team’s darkest and most compelling dramas of dangerously intertwined relationships.

Story Timeline:
Producing Country:
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Genre:

Quartet (1981) - Trailer

Release Date:

25 Oct 1981

Language:

English, French

MPAA Content-Rating:
R – Restricted

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.

Director:

James Ivory

Writer:

Jean Rhys (novel), Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay), Michel Maingois (French dialogue)

Main Actors:

Isabelle Adjani, Suzanne Flon, Sébastien Floche, Anthony Higgins

Plot:

It's 1927 Paris. Following the conviction of her art dealer husband, Stephan Zelli, for theft for which he was handed a one-year prison sentence, Marya Zelli, originally from West India, moves in with her acquaintances, expatriate Brits H.J. and Lois Heidler. Marya knows that H.J. in particular has more in mind than just providing her lodging out of the goodness of his heart. From behind bars, Stephan encourages Marya to move in with them not knowing H.J.'s intentions. Marya agrees in part because she, being a foreigner, cannot get work and would thus become destitute otherwise. She learns she is the latest in a long line of lodgers. She also learns that H.J. and Lois' marriage is not all that it appears on the surface. The Heidler's hold on Marya becomes stronger when they convince her that Stephan not only has no money but has no future in France after his release. Their collective lives become more complicated when Stephan is released from jail and tries to figure out what he's going to do with his life to regain the high standard of living to which he became accustomed.

Awards:

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Production:

New World Pictures

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes:
46%
Metacritic:
62%