The Quiet

This is a flawed gem of a movie. The ending is a big crack in this diamond. I suggest seeing it, but with the foreknowledge this is a quirky little film that stutters badly on occasion and leaves you wondering in disbelief if that could actually happen-remember- a good script suspends disbelief-- and then realize- it could actually happen.

This is what I call the evil teen genre. Some young flesh in tight clothes with some sociopathic behavior thrown in for good measure. The acting is television quality but the script is intriguing enough that you won't notice until after mulling over how the whole story unfolded and whether it is really plausible or not. I don't find this story plausible and the acting really falters like a broken ankle at the end, but I also know sloppier crimes have gone undiscovered so I guess it could happen.

It's just not really what you would expect though, so be prepared to go.. HUH??? WHAT??

I liked a lot of the dialog in the movie- the bickering was well written.

PLOT: a deaf girl who is the daughter of a recently dead relative shows up on a family's doorstep and they take her in. The family's daughter is NOT amused and the family's father has a rather odd relationship with the rest of the family. Let's just say he's a self-centered asshole with a bad temper that isn't above getting physical over a verbal argument and he has a fetish.

Adding this mysterious deaf girl to their already weird suburban hell mix makes for some interesting fireworks. You will be disappointed with the ending but it's a fantastic story with pretty girls( no skin to speak of, though- BOO!!) up until the last 12 minutes or so where it kind of careens into a ditch and comes to a hasty halt.

I walked into this movie thinking it would suck based on reviews. I was surprised that it actually was interesting and provocative. I think some people might have trouble handling the subject matter and the fact that it's treated with equal parts seriousness and humor. But uncomfortable laughter to me is the sign of a movie that actually pushes some of our buttons and that's a good thing. The cast here is wonderful, in particular Elisha Cuthbert, who proves she can act and Katy Mixon, who nails the bitchy teen banter that can be so typical in other movies. The direction is heavy handed at times but the humor does a good job of undercutting the heavy atmopshere. The ending does have some problems which I won't post here since I don't want to give anything away, but overall I think any movie that manages to be this disturbing is worth a look. I suspect this film will be re-evaluated when its time has come.

The Quiet (Toronto Film Festival Cut) Mr. Black's Grade: B Starring Edie Falco, Elisha Cuthbert, and Shawn Ashmore.

Directed by Jamie Babbit, who is apparently known for lighter TV fare. She has thrown that out the window with The Quiet. Dot (Camilla Belle), a deaf orphan girl, is sent to live with a wholesome foster family, but soon realizes all is not cop-acetic.

Something about this film really hit me. It is a very dark and adult tale set in any town USA. You would find me to be a quiet guy generally, and I like to listen to folks have to say. When you pay attention, people will tell you the most amazing things. 'Dot' certainly goes through that in this film. This is a story about teenagers, and it is appealing that they act that way, saying stupid things and not being 'wise' beyond their years.

The film captured High School for me to a tee, and featured nice pacing and a better than expected performance from the ever-so-lovely Elisha Cuthbert. Some folks may get completely turned off by the subject material, since this is very dark, depressing and very adult material. But for some reason the 'Dot' character really got me...

The power of silence is so powerful. Because she attracts people to constantly expose the secrets and privacy that cannot be released from the depths of their hearts. As if it were a container that can safely store secrets. And once the silence is absent, people will be panicked with birds and beasts, as thin as a bowed bird. This is also human nature. However, when the secret carried exceeds the critical point, peace and calm will be quickly disintegrated

The generic timing; the generic plot twists, don't exist here. It's a movie about violation and expectation. Don't watch the trailer, stop reading the reviews. Put the phone down and be patient. It's a film worth watching.