La Niña Callada

Imagine what you'd do, a young child where there's a few, in a rural Irish setting, father likes drinking and betting, mam's another on the way, so they send you far away, to relations you don't know, you have no say, you have to go.

Occasionally you come across a piece of cinema that leaves you stunned, buckled and undone; when performances and story, within a time and a place, just flow so elegantly and refined, against the most inelegant and unrefined backdrops.

If you have a heart, and a soul, an ounce of empathy, and a pathway from a screen straight to them, then prepare to be walloped by this heartfelt offering from the Emerald Isle.

Based on the renowned story, Foster, by Claire Keegan, THE QUIET GIRL is an exquisite and heart-wrenching Irish drama set in 1981. The film follows 11-year-old girl, Cáit (Catherine Clinch) who is sent to live with foster parents for the summer after her dysfunctional family life becomes too much to handle. Maeve quickly falls in love with the bucolic setting and her foster parents but discovers a troubling secret that threatens to destroy the idyllic world she has found herself in.

THE QUIET GIRL is an incredibly moving film that deals with some very heavy themes in a sensitive and beautiful way. Director Colm Bairéad has crafted a visually stunning film that is anchored by amazing performances, especially from Clinch who is a revelation in the lead role. It is slow-paced and consistently riveting, with a payoff that is both devastating and beautiful. It has won many awards and has become the highest grossing Irish-language film of all time.

THE QUIET GIRL is a must-see movie for anyone who appreciates great filmmaking. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful film that will leave you deeply affected. Highly recommended.

The movie "The quiet girl" is an exceptional piece of drama. Beautifully adapted from Claire Keegan's book "Foster," writer/director Colm Bairéad makes a heavy, harrowing movie about the influence of a dysfunctional and neglected family in the development of a child.

Cáit (Catherine Clinch) is a little girl who spends most of her time quietly on her parent's farm. She feels the disdain of her family who is going through financial difficulties, she doesn't get along with her sisters and she is bullied at school, which affects her ability to read and write. Her parents then decide to send her away to spend some time with her aunt's family. As soon as Cáit arrives at the new residence, she begins to discover the true feeling of a family environment. That's when director Colm Bairéad shines, through small gestures and details, he manages to convey Cáit's blossoming, the feeling of existing and being loved, and at the same time shows the healing process of her uncles' tragedy.

This is a beautiful movie about discovery, healing and miserable childhood.

Don't expect revelations, or furious action, or debauchery and violence. This is a slow burner but I sat rapt from the start til the closing credits.

There is so little dialogue, and yet more said than most films despite the paucity of words. Some of the scenes are like art. You want to stop the film and just look at it. It says so much in one shot or one scene, even if nothing is said.

The main star of the film is Catherine Clinch who has never been on screen before. But the entire film uses her as a foundation and she shoulders it perfectly. She only had to move her head, or her eyes, or close her mouth and instantly you knew what she was feeling.

And that's what the film's about, feeling. I believe the story will resonate with every single person who sees it.

It will also leave you desperate to know more, what happened afterwards, the feeling is in the pit of your stomach as the scene fades and the credits roll.

This film will be in time, a classic.

Well written, beautifully directed and sensitively performed, this ends up being a deeply moving film. Director Colm Bairéad keeps his nerve as far as pacing is concerned, and as a result I expect there'll be some who find this too slow-moving for their taste. But stay with it. It's worth it.

I've never been the kind of moviegoer who wonders what happens to the characters after the film has ended, but it's difficult not to speculate in that way after The Quiet Girl's extraordinary final moments.