‘The Quiet Girl’ Movie Review: A Superlative Irish Coming-of-Age Drama That Will Move You to Tears
The Quiet Girl is the type of coming-of-age drama that slyly sneaks up on you and fills your heart with a rush of emotion. Writer/director Colm Bairéad interweaves a marvelously beautiful story with Catherine Clinch’s incredibly delicate performance to craft a piece of filmmaking that is both poignant and thought-provoking. Audiences would be best served to bring a box of tissues for the guaranteed waterworks, but those tears are earned through a story bursting with life.
‘The Quiet Girl’ is a subtle tale set in 1981 rural Ireland
The Quiet Girl is set in 1981 rural Ireland. Cáit (Clinch) is a withdrawn, neglected girl living in a full household where another child is on the way. However, her whole world is turned upside down when her dysfunctional family makes the decision to leave her with foster parents for the summer. She initially locks her feelings deeper away inside, but she soon begins to discover hope in this new home.
An older couple named Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley) and Seán Cinnsealach (Andrew Bennett) open their home to Cáit. She blossoms in their care, although she realizes that it’s only temporary. Eibhlín explains that they live in a farmhouse without secrets, but they’re hiding one from the young girl that runs deep.
Writer/director Colm Bairéad crafts a beautiful story about the meanings of home and family
The Quiet Girl finds Cáit living a fairly lonely existence as the outcast in every social environment possible. Her parents don’t bother to connect with her, and other children at school consider her to be the “weird” girl. Cáit’s relationship with her siblings doesn’t fare much better, as they regularly push her to the margins of the family. However, one summer away is about to change everything.
Bairéad’s screenplay depicts the many forms and shapes that compose a family. Cáit’s biological one is cold and distant, which creates a striking juxtaposition to the warmth and closeness found in her foster home. This is critical in the film’s examination of what the concept of home truly means, extending far beyond its physical manifestation of it. The Quiet Girl is all about the unspoken for both the characters and the audience, establishing a rich world that deeply integrates its audience.
Cáit isn’t the only one who requires some time to adjust to the new living situation. Eibhlín and Seán both handle her arrival in differing ways. Eibhlín welcomes her in with open arms, feeling an immense amount of sympathy for the young girl and her situation. However, Seán displays a coldness toward her, although it’s a different distance than what she experienced with her biological father. Cáit and her new foster parents have things to learn from one another as they rediscover what it means to love again.
‘The Quiet Girl’ is one of the very best films of the year
Bairéad’s feature debut marks him as a talent to watch as both a screenwriter and a director. it’s sentimental storytelling, but never moves taps exploits trauma. Bairéad holds a high amount of respect for Cáit and her temporary foster parents, as well as the audiences having the opportunity to experience their story. Additionally, Kate McCullough’s lush cinematography pulls out the bright greens in the environment and the increasingly vivid colors in Cáit’s clothing right to the forefront. She makes the world around the lead appear so big and daunting, yet so beautiful with hints of nostalgia.
Bairéad asks for a little bit of patience in his storytelling, just as this young girl takes time to open up to others. However, it’s tremendously rewarding for those who stick with it and give it the opportunity to latch onto them. Clinch further enhances the film’s charm with a quiet, but superb and nuanced performance that says a lot with few words. She communicates whole monologues with a mere glance.
The Quiet Girl is one of the very best films of the year, containing the warmest and most deeply-affecting hugging scene in recent memory. Ireland named the film their submission to the 2023 Oscars as their International Feature Entry for good reason. It exudes such empathy that you just can’t help but fall for its charm. It’s a must-see piece of filmmaking that hugs you in an embrace like no other.
