The Following Film is Rated 12
(PRONUNCIATION GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL READERS
Cait- "Kite", Short For Caitrina, which is not the Irish derivative of Katrina. The Former, Emphasis is in the I, "KAI-trina" while the more Well known name is Emphasized on the T, "KAT-Trina"
Eibhlin- Eileen
Sean- Shawn. You'd be Surprised how many Zoomers never heard of Sean Connery!
Caseighdeigh- Mr Cassidy
Gearoid -GAH-Road, the Irish for Garry)
Now you're probably thinking that of all the Irish films snubbed out of Well Deserved Oscars, you'd think I would go with Banshees of Enisheran!
Well, hate to break to you but reviewing 18 rated films on both of my sites may be a thing of the past. Next month I will test the waters by reviewing Crimes Of the Future, so maybe a film with that amount of violence may not be the first choice!
Also, like last year, I want to use March to put a View to the World on Irish Film and Culture in a good light and a Film that Glorifies us as Drunken Grudge-Keepers with an unhealthy obsession with Goats, will only Strengthen the Paddy Potato Stereotype, not Abolish It!
Not much to say on the cover so let's just Dig in to An Caileen Cuain, Internationally known as the Quiet Girl.
(This film is spoken mostly in Irish, with English subtitles throughout!)
We open on a Field of Tall Grass on a Cold Winter's morning, as Girls' voices call out for a Girl named Cait. When they leave, a small figure dressed in a Dirty white dress and sandals too big for her stumbles back to into the hell-hole she escaped from, passing a crying baby to go to her room, a blank room that has no toys or any indication a child lives here! When he hears her mother she hides under the bed, but the two bare legs in Slippers knows she's here, because of the muck on her shoes.
So as said, the film is not completely in Irish. Cait's (Catherine Clinch) Father can't speak it and so Cait's sisters has to tell him in English Mam didn't make Lunches for school. Dad is just as Useless as he's just woken from a Hangover.
What was that I said about Irish Films breaking Stereotypes?
Of course this means Cait Struggles in School, steals food to feed herself and is bullied when she is caught. In her anger she skips school, until her father picks her up by chance...only to be joined by the woman he's having an affair with. She's worried that with a Baby and another on the way, Dan will be too busy to fool around with her and still Pretend to be Father of the year!
When Mam gets a letter, (No doubt from either the school or social services) we flash forward to before Cait leaves her house to be Fostered by Relatives in Waterford (a decision solely made because Da is betting on them to win the Football, and took it as a Sign!)
....they lose and Dan had no nice words to say thanks to this undertaking he took as a Superstitious want to make both money and Solve a Problem.
Cait Wakes to see Dad drive to an impressive Stately home, one that was seemingly a BnB. As Dad talks to a farmer, the Aunt Cait will be living With this summer, Eibhlin Kinsella, comes to the car to greet her.
Bringing her inside, Eibhlin Asks her how she is. Cait tells her some Sad things- Namely how she had Jelly for the first time solely because Mam won £10 pounds, and her Farm hasn't bought in Its Hay yet.
Dan and Eibhlin's Husband, Sean (The farmer he was talking to) enter the kitchen for supper. Dan being the Scumbag he is, Thinks he's fobbing off his most worthless child as a Scullery Maid to get some use out of her, Something Sean gets angry about that Dan would think that!
Excusing herself, Cait explores the Huge Home that is just that- a home, not a Hotel at all, it's far too big for A Couple to live here alone. Eibhlin gives Dan a Bushel of Rhubarb to drop a hint for him to leave, only after he Drops a hint he wants to be paid in part!
So Dad leaves with a Bushel of Rhubarb and his Daughter's Suitcase, Cait had the First Proper Bath in a long time, she's given boy's clothes, despite Eibhlin telling her no child lives here (FORESHADOWING!), She asks Cait to go to the well for water for her, and Cait gets worried, as making her leave the room is a Tactic Her parents use to think up a punishment for her when she does something wrong! Eibhlin comforts her telling her "There are no Secrets in this House, if there are Secrets, there is also shame!"
Eibhlin brings Cait to the well in the forest around the House, the well is full, despite it hasn't rained for months.
Night falls and Cait is given Pajamas to wear for bed. Sean seems as Distant as Dan was. Eibhlin asks Cait about her Mother and why her farm had not bought in the Hay yet. Cait tells her her mother had not paid "The Man" to get it done. When The Aunt asks if Mary would be Offended if She sent money, Cait Answers Dad would. Eibhlin wishes her Niece a Good Night and Cait leaves the Bed to use a Chamberpot provided, only she refuses to do so as she feels she should be a Grown up about it all and gives back to bed. Outside the room Eibhlin prays to God to have mercy on her- "If She was Mine, I wouldn't Have Her Live With Strangers!"
The Next Day, Eibhlin sees that Cait Wetted the Bed, But jokes about it. At Breakfast, she asks Sean if he can show Cait around the Farm, only for him to Shut that down, saying today's work is going to be tough, leaving the Women to do Housework, Cait is soon Given Chores, but Solely because at home she was treated like an Idiot. While Paring Apples, Eibhlin gets a Phonecall, that we, the audience is not privy to, but as Hushed as the tones are, Eibhlin's voice is Distressed about something! All the while in the montage Her Aunt is Brushing Cait's hair and Counting to 100. In the end of the Count, Eibhlin sees that one morning Cait is not Having any Accidents anymore!
One night, all the men from the Village are at Eibhlin's house to play cards, when a man selling Raffle tickets for a new School Roof comes to the door. One of the Guests, Caseighdeigh Losing his money, complains that we should only care about Children that are our own ...which brings down the mood!
The next day Eibhlin gets a Phonecall from a woman called Sinead, who is looking after her dying father, Gearoid. The idea of A Child looking after a Parent Confuses her.
Sean is a Dairy Farmer, He sweeps out a Milking Station, While Cait wanders around bored , when Sean looks up and Not see her, He Panics. He finds her in a Shed finding a brush to help, But for spoiler reasons, Sean Shouts at her for being so stupid, Triggering one of her Bouts of Silence. The next morning Sean leaves Cait a single Biscuit as a peace offering. Now she knows where the extra brushes are, She can be more proactive in sweeping the Floors!
Sean and Cait feed a Calf with Formula as Sean sell the milk as Produce. Sean forgot to collect letters from the postbox at the bottom of the lane, So Cait Runs to get it, All the While smiling-Never once has she Ran without a Sad Reason to.
Eibhlin has returned and she and Cait are making Jam, Until Sean points out tomorrow is Sunday and everyone will be Talking when they see Boys clothes on her, so he wants them to go it Town before people start Talking. This upsets Eibhlin and Sean Snaps at Cait to wash up "DIDN'T YOUR FATHER TEACH YOU THAT MUCH?" Clearly seeing these clothes have upset Sean.
In Town the Woman in the clothes Shop calls Eibhlin "Your Mammy" with new outfits, Eibhlin meets a friend who has a newborn baby, All those who know Eibhlin and Sean are under the impression Cait is Put to Work with one one saying having a Child around is "The Wrong Person to have, After what happened to you!"
Driving to check on the Extended Kinsella Family, Sinead tells Sean that Gearoid is dead. This leads to Cait to being bought to her first ever wake. While Eibhlin is Comforting Sinead, Sean Sneaks some Brandy for the Child... hoping it's Horrible taste will deter her later in life!
#PARENTING!
Cait is Getting Sleepy So A Neighbour offers to Bring to her Home-as Par the Course in Irish life-The Neighbour Starts Pumping the Child for Information and Planting Rumours into An Innocent Child, Claiming Sean is a miser, Eibhlin a Drunk, So Of Course this B**ch has no problem telling her Sean and Eibhlin had a Son who Died!
Una Explains Their Son Chased A Dog into a Slurry Pit and he Drowned. Sean Went to Shoot the Dog, but couldn't bring himself to do it! The Shock Turned Eibhlin's Hair White and she has being Dying it to save face in public ever since!
Sean Collects Cait From Una's Home, a Home very similar to how it is at Cait's Farm back home, The Reason that Una has Decided to spill the beans to a Poor defenceless child? Was because the Food at the Wake was not up to her high standards! With Sean inviting himself in just to hear Una's tirade of cheap Plastic Rosaries and Attempted Trifle, Ignoring the fact that despite elderly and sick, Gearoid's death was Sudden. In the car, Sean asks Cait what Una said to her and it Causes Eibhlin to cry when Cait Repeats Everything Verbatim.
Returning home, a Saddened Eibhlin Retires for the night, So they look up at the Stars outside. Sean tells A Story about a Friend who once found a Horse out to sea, what Sean is trying to say is, that strange things happen, like Una taking joy in shooting her mouth off. Eibhlin wants to see the good in everyone...even when it doesn't exist. Sean's Advice is to say Nothing that can be used by the Gossips and Malcontents of the world.
After a Montage of Cait Bonding with Sean, Focusing on the Child Growing Physically Stronger and Smarter to contrast with Eibhlin connecting on a Spiritual level, Eibhlin gets a letter a week before the Summer holidays end, Mary has giving birth to a Brother, and school starts in a week. Cait is to be sent home. Naturally the Girl is Upset by the news.
The Next Morning Sean needs Eibhlin's Help to Birth a Calf. Leaving Cait Behind, before Eibhlin Can fetch water. Not Learning from last time, Cait Fetches the Water as a Good deed, But she falls in, Catching a cold the next morning.
The Next morning the Kinsellas Drive to Cait's home. Nothing has changed except the are now two Crying Babies instead of one. And Dan is still an Asshole when he hears Cait Sneeze and Sean covers he was in the bed all day yesterday, with Dan Saying " Children, Huh? You Just Can't Mind Them! You'd Know All About That Wouldn't Ya?"
As Sean's car Pulls out, Cait Tries to Chase after them and would have failed if not For Sean Closes the Gate behind him. Cait Finds Sean and Hugs him as Dan Walks Angrily down the lane, the last thing we hear is Cait repeating the Word "Daddy!" Is out of love for Sean? Fear of Dan? Or both? We may never know as the Screen Fades to Black.
A MASTERPIECE!
A Film with Minimal Speech and Lots of Body Language used to Convey the Story, Usually don't work well, But to Quote the Irish Proverb "A Wiseman knows when to speak, A Fool can be heard for miles" This Film Avails on the Wisdom of Silence: Contemplations of what to say next, Fast talking people like Dan and Una, Who talk and talk and never say anything of Merit!, are dealt with a Tactful Eibhlin with one word or An One-Liner. The Choice to make this film's Time era into the late 20th Century was a Good Choice: to show the Ireland that still only exists in small villages: Where Everyone knows Everyone, Including their Secrets or least what they heard from someone else!
The Cinematography is Top-Notch, showing A Rural Ireland that is As Harsh as it is Beautiful: Frost Covered Tall grass, Run Down Houses, Pot-hole laden Roads, But also Impressive Stately houses, A Town that reminds us of the Halcyon days of Long summers And ancient forests holding mythic wells. Speaking of mythic, there is something almost Ethereal about Catherine Clinch's Performance as Cait, Making her Debut is this film, and she is Supported by a strong cast who don't spring the twist too early, despite all the foreshadowing.
People are Divided by Colm Bearoid's Decision to end the film on a Cliff-hanger. Personally I like it, letting you draw your conclusions, because I don't see This film As the kind of film you can make a sequel for! In the End, this film may not have won the Oscar, But All it's other awards and Accolades are well deserved.
CREDITS
An Cailen Cuann, Internationally called The Quiet Girl was Reviewed, Compiled and Edited By Eamonn Bermingham (@RealEnli)
With Photos from The Quiet Girl, Which was Produced By Curzon and Financed by the Irish Film Board.
NEXT MONTH ON BOGGER BOX OFFICE!
I said it in the review...I Just know I'm Gonna get A Content Warning, But Regardless, NEXT MONTH WE ARE ON THE CASE WITH DAVID CRONENBURG'S CRIMES OF THE FUTURE.
