Release Date: September 1, 2006
The characters aren’t exactly new and the storyline is definitely a slow burner which is probably why The Quiet isn’t going to succeed in the American market. However, its appearance on the scene means the transition between the explosive high concept Summer is giving way to the earthy, character-driven Fall in Hollywood. The story is compelling, the acting is brilliant and the directing is certainly capable. Unfortunately, there’s something about the movie that just doesn’t work.
Dot (Camilla Belle), a deaf mute, is thrust into the pleasant suburbanite perfection of the Deer family after becoming orphaned. Her godparents, Olivia (Edie Falco) and Paul (Martin Donovan), take her in and throw her directly into the path of Nina (Elisha Cuthbert), her all-too popular, cheerleading godsister. Soon, the entire family and other key players are unloading their darkest secrets and innermost thoughts on Dot, who, as someone who can’t hear, is the best listener in the town.
From then on, the seedy underbelly of the well-manicured lawns is exposed with some interesting consequences. Unfortunately, writers Abdi Nazemian and Micah Schraft chose to use cliches in place of the characters’ darkest secrets. Maybe that’s just cynicism talking, but the pill-popping mother and bitchy head cheerleader are hardly innovative character studies. On the other hand, the movie attempts some new subject matter by placing the audience in the middle of conflict between Nina and her father – who sexually molests her. Dot witnesses this one night in the hallway, and Nina jokes about killing her father saying that if Dot could have heard her, she’d be an accomplice.
So what else happens? Not much of interest. It’s difficult to write a review about this movie because it is constantly on the cusp of being decent. There are strong performances – Martin Donovan, as usual, provides an impressive performance as does Shawn Ashmore as Connor, the high school heartthrob pined away for Nina and her cohorts. Even stronger than these are Elisha Cuthbert’s and Camilla Belle’s performances. The two have amazing chemistry – a good thing considering that most of the movie focuses on their relationship.
However, despite the roundness of the characters and a fairly unsettling story, the movie as a whole is a disappointment. The pacing is terrible – at times it seems to drag on without any major events taking place and others it seems to gloss over without much thought. Plus, the film seems to want to hinge itself on its own twists instead of relying on the strong characters that are involved. In fact, the advertising campaign also focuses on the question of whether or not Dot is actually deaf.
For a little digression, I must say that I understand the appeal to use plot twists to surprise or impact an audience, but it seems almost infantile to completely lie to an audience. Great thrillers require suggestion to the audience of an idea, then a complete reversal of that idea when the truth is revealed. In the case of The Quiet, the writing bills Dot as a deaf mute and then reverses the decision a short way into the movie. And for those upset that I might have spoiled a major plot point, Dot (the girl who can’t hear or speak) is the film’s narrator from the beginning. At the end of all things, director Jamie Babbit should be asking one question: how can a movie with decent writing, strong directing and amazing acting be so terrible?
If you enjoy slow burning plots or art house flicks, you might want to give this one a shot or at least make it a rental. If you’d rather see an explosion every five minutes or frat boys lighting farts, save your money for Crank or Jackass: Number Two.
Final Grade: C-
The Upside: The film is unflinching in tackling tough subjects like domestic abuse, teenage sexual pressure and drug use.
The Downside: The suspenseful moments are ruined by bad pacing and choppy delivery. Plus, even if the suspense was built up to fever pitch, the pay off would just be that more disappointing.
On the Side: Camilla Belle also stars in The Chumscrubber, another tale of suburban life gone to hell. In fact, maybe you should just rent that instead.
