User reviews

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.

Catherine Clinch stars here as Cait, a girl of about ten who is sent to live with an older childless couple in rural Ireland. The biological mother and father are unfit parents with a brood of children living in a filthy and unkempt house.

Mom is expecting another child to add to her flock and the foster couple grow more and more attached to the quiet girl.

Two thirds of the way in, a terrible secret is revealed and it only deepens the attachment of Cait and her guardians.

Most of the film is in Gaelic with a few portions in English. The subtitles work fine but some of those spoken in English were difficult to understand.

The scenery is beautiful and story a tear jerker. The pretty young actress is a scene stealer.

I expect an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Picture.

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.

Quite simply, the best Irish movie, I've ever seen. Not just Irish language but Irish! Sublime cinematography, direction and acting. Based on Claire Keegan's book Foster, this tells the story of Cait a withdrawn little girl from a poor big rural family who during her mother's latest pregnancy is packed off to live with a older rural couple who are relatives. Catherine Clinch is a revelation as the title character and Carrie Crowleyis her usual reliable self and Andrew Bennett in his role as the taciturn substitute father developing a relationship with Cait who delivers a powerful emotional punch. This movie had me welling up unexpectedly a number of times and there are so many nostalgic moments in relation to late 70s early 80s Ireland in relation to tv, sport and clothes. It is a joyous film that I cannot recommend highly enough it hypnotised me . I'm not staying quiet about this!

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.

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.

Watched this lovely film at the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival 2022.

I know it's only February but this is the best film I've seen this year. If you ever get a chance to watch 'An Cailín Ciúin' in the future, seize the chance.

It is not so unusual to witness family situations in which parents treat their children as burdens, oblivious to their responsibility for bringing them into the world. Or of the reason why they did it. The discourse on parenting is precisely the film's pivotal element, and it is carried out gracefully. The Quite Girl is not an original film, or particularly entertaining, but it succeeds in offering a perfectly constructed story from beginning to end. It certainly conveys a great love for cinema and its language, this in the attention and subtle use of detail, in the beautiful cinematography and in the image construction. An outstanding piece of work indeed.

Sometimes, maybe once in a decade or so a movie comes along and you can't shake it from your mind. I feel this movie is going to be with me for a very long time. It proves you dont need big Hollywood budgets to make a classic. Beautifully directed and superb acting.

A film whose beauty, whose eloquence, resides in its tranquillity, in its quietude; a narrative that demonstrates markings of brilliance and poise, as well as an articulated understanding of the art form in its simpler exposition, a screenplay that seems to compensate for its uneventfulness with similar, if not more effective components of drama and perceptible emotions! It talks less but shows so much more!

I'm one of those people who argue strongly that a child's upbringing is the key to his or her future and character traits and this story encapsulates the very same notion, the same argument with irrefutable insight and perseveration.

While blood relations are important for a child's learning and development, not every parent is qualified to take on the tasks and responsibilities that tag along. The sooner the commoners who are confined by societal norms realise this, the better it is for the countless children who yearn for love and attention!

An Cailín Ciúin has a slow almost boring start but you soon discover that this is very deliberate by the film maker. The film, and Cait, come out of themselves when they spend the summer at her mother's cousin's house.

There really isn't a big story here but a strong one, beautiful film making and performances from all involved drag the audience in.

At 90 minutes it's perfectly timed but you're left needing to know more.

Writer-Director Colm Bairead's tender, deceptively simple adaptation of Claire Keegan's short story is a beautifully told tale. Set in the early 80s in Ireland, QUIET GIRL tells of a shy young girl, Cait (Catherine Clinch), who is sent away by her financially strapped parents for the summer while her family prepares for a baby to be born. Her Da (Michael Patric) calls Cait 'the wanderer' for her tendency to withdraw and to go off by herself. Cait stays with Ma's (Kat Nic Chonaonaigh) older cousin Eibhlin (Carrie Crowley) who lives with her husband Sean (Andrew Bennett).

Cait's natural introvertedness combined with the new surroundings makes for an uneasy transition. Over time, Eibhlin and Sean slowly break down that wall and they start to bond. Eibhlin and Sean are also firmly middle-class which further softens the awkward surroundings for the young girl who they endearingly call 'pet'. The surrogate parents assure Cait that there are no 'secrets' in their home. It's to the film's credit that when that promise is broken, it's done in a most gentle yet illuminating manner.

Bairead's spare but finely observed writing and direction is ably matched with the cast, in particular Crowley and Bennett who give sublty effective performances. Clinch perfectly suits the title role with an uncommon sense of stillness when necessary, while also being able to deliver in the more emotional ones. The movie is framed in the old fashioned 1:37 aspect ratio to suit the intimacy of the story, while still giving room to show the picturesque Irish landscape during the long drives to and from the two homes.

THE QUIET GIRL may, at times, feel a bit slight, but, be careful, it shall sneak up on you if allow it to unfold at its own lovely pace. It's a story that stealthily becomes so much more deeply felt that what's appears on the surface.

We don't like to think about it, but deep down we know. We are well aware that many children do not grow up under the circumstances they deserve. We know. Agonizingly many children lack adequate access to water, food and shelter. We know that. And beyond those most basic of physical needs, there are even more children who don't feel safe, who don't feel seen, and who don't feel loved. We know. What we don't know is what to do about it.

The Quiet Girl is a beautiful and painful reminder of things we already know. The film's young protagonist is played by Catherine Clinch, who is perfectly cast and who does a really good job of bringing this reminder home.

I read the rave reviews on IMDB and other places, however I wish I would have been more impressed.

The story seemed far from remarkable and the pace is terribly slow, in fact there is really not much to comment on of any note.

All of the actors did their bit and yes, there was a subtlety in exploring developing relationships. The photography was lovely and the sense of period was well done, but basically nothing much happens throughout. I wish I could be more enthusiastic, but it was dull.

I start with the story. This movie is an eye-opening wonderfully made piece of art about the most precious things in life. The movie demonstrates the importance of kindness, love, and care which you may not be aware of unless you lose them. That is one aspect of the story. Another important aspect of the story is children's problems in integrating with the environment, even with their own family, based on their personality. To have a different personality could be hard and gets amplified in a toxic family. The aspect of a toxic family, especially toxic parents has been presented as masterfully as possible. I won't explain the details to avoid spoiling the movie.

Storytelling is straight. Minimum metaphors and vague scenes have been filmed, maybe zero. Also, the movie does not include any form of parent love cliches which is a strong point in my opinion. You hardly find any unnecessary moments in the film and the scenes are sequenced perfectly. However, there could be some extra time for the girl's biological family. Other than that, everything is great. The story will get you right to the end which is emotional and lovely.

The cinematography is perfect as well. Excellent facial close-ups and sceneries help build up the atmosphere for different parts of the story. The performance is superb. You will accept the actors as their characters without doubt and cannot expect a better performance or cast. Especially the little girl is excellent.

Beautiful film that has a quiet gentleness about it. It allows the viewer time to absorb all the little nostalgic details. There are sequences when nothing much happening like the girl is sitting in the back seat of her dad's car looking at the sky & it took my right back to what that feels like- to be a child and to just stare at the clouds & daydream. Such wonderful performances by all especially the young lead actress. Excellent cinematography, direction & set design. Bravo to all concerned. Maith sibh! Go see it on the big screen - it is good for the soul!

A quiet voice often speaks louder than those trying to drown it out. I will go to the cinema to sit back and be entertained, but I often go to experience lives lived in other circumstances. Roger Ebert referred to cinema as a machine for generating empathy, and this film is a wonderful example.

The film takes a child's-eye view of the world, much like Petit Maman. This film, however, gave me a real sense of place. The thoughtfulness with which it constructed the home the girl left and the home at which she arrived was the frame within which a beautiful story played out.

In the cinema, the aspect ratio changed from wide screen in the trailers to a box view. It gave me pause. Why would the director choose to constrain views of the Irish countryside? Within seconds, all I cared about was the people in focus.

As the story unfolds, motivations become clear, and behaviours, which seemed odd at the beginning, make sense. The lead actor and director allow the flower to open slowly. The transformative power of love is there to see, but it does require patience and care.

All you needed was a bit of mindin'

"All you needed was some minding." Eibhlin (Carrie Crowley)

Cait (Catherine Clinch)is an Irish 9-year-old in 1981, neglected and quiet even more than that age usually allows. Shuffled off to a distant relative's home for the summer, she discovers a loving care rarely seen in real life and not in contemporary dysfunctional-family-obsessed cinema.

This quiet farm is smallholding in rural '80's Ireland, for the work is daily and hourly mostly by Sean (Andrew Bennett), the middle-aged foster parent, whose quiet affection for Cait is the film's warm surprise. Providing Cait with her first and most powerful affection is his wife, Eibhlin, who has lost a young son to at tragic accident and shows all how fine a mother she was meant to be.

It's the small stuff that show the real love-peeling potatoes and running for the mail, for example. In fact, nothing grand happens in this Oscar-nominated film, more in the Seinfeld tradition than Guardians of the Galaxy. Controversy is small as well, for example, a little face-off about rhubarb.

Each frame exudes a care that transforms the quiet adolescent into a loving companion for the older couple. Mind you, it is minimalism in its pure form: we can infer from conversation and small acts the depth this burgeoning love is going to.

The Quiet Girl is an Irish treasure, where the small acts breed love like cleaning the dairy floor with a smile. Mix that in with writer-director Colm Bairead's choice of green Irish landscape and ancient farm houses and you have an intensely satisfying drama that will delight cinephiles and introduce the rest to a quiet tale about a quiet girl.

Wonderfully understated and yet filled with a million moments that will resonate - the difficulties of saying what you feel, of leaving the past behind, of understanding and being understood. It brought to my mind thoughts of the many kindnesses I have been shown in my life and I found it very moving.

Nicely shot, often from a child's point of view, it takes the hurt of adult life and suggests that there is always something special to be found in giving people a chance. A simple film that says so much.

This is a poignant movie but I think it probably worked better as a short story, which I think was the original format. It's slow moving and there aren't any real surprises. It has literary touches such as irony and a subtle repeating motif. It's a grim indictment of Irish poverty. It has a classic short story format; there's a main character and we get to know her during an episode in her life. There isn't a plot per se but rather interactions between characters in a few settings. It's mostly in Gaelic with subtitles, although it's partly in English and these lines are also subtitled. Subtle gestures in the film are evocative of the themes.

If you were looking for negatives you could say this is a tad manipulative and slow. But most fiction is manipulative to a degree and the unhurried pace is appropriate to the film. It is an excellent Irish production.

Well set in the 80's, this is the tale of a quiet, somewhat withdrawn girl in a poor catholic family that is shortly to expand yet again with another baby. Mum is barely coping and dad drinks a bit. To ease the strain the quiet child is hived off to a childless cousin and her husband who have a bit more time and cash for an attempt at compassion. Husband initially does not want to get too involved. The story is well drawn and affecting and while the ending is a little up in the air (and thats ok) you can contemplate your own while you reminisce of the times as a kid you were in trouble for tryin' to help.

The direction is restrained and the acting throughout is very good. Catherine the girl playing the lead Cait, is superb. A great film.

Truly affecting domestic dramas are among my favorite types of films, and writer-director Colm Bairéad's debut narrative feature takes a noble stab at the genre, one that's tender and moving but that doesn't quite land itself in masterpiece territory. Set in rural Ireland in 1981, this film, whose dialogue is mostly in Irish Gaelic, tells the story of a misunderstood young girl, Cáit (Catherine Clinch), whose dysfunctional family can't be bothered with her, so she's sent to live with her mother's relatives for the summer until Mam delivers yet another child who's likely to be just as unwanted as she is. While separated from her parents and siblings, however, she discovers a whole new way of living - and loving - with people whom she's never met. And her presence in their household does much to rejuvenate their lives as well, a relationship that benefits all concerned - that is, until it's time for Cáit to return home. The emotions stirred here are indeed palpable, but the narrative is a tad thin, requiring the picture to be embellished with plenty of gorgeous nature shots, emotive closeups and a heart-tugging background score to shore up the lean aspects of this offering. There's certainly nothing wrong with any of that; in fact, it provides viewers with more than most other comparable releases supply. However, as an offering that earned best foreign language/international film nominations at both the BAFTA Awards and the Oscars, I expected more, a film that would truly have me more engaged and potentially on the verge of tears at any time, goals that came up a little short. It certainly raises important issues related to child neglect and emotional abuse, and it shows that change is possible where such circumstances prevail, but it just didn't grab me that way I would anticipate a picture like this should. Enjoy it, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't live up to your expectations as well.