Quartet

QUARTET is a subtle, understated anthology of stories by Somerset Maugham--entertaining but decidedly uneven in presentation. Nevertheless, as a study of various British personalities among the upper classes it does manage to evoke interest without furnishing any big surprises--which is what one usually expects from short stories.

What it does do, brilliantly, is show us Maugham's keen observations on human nature. MAI ZETTERLING and IAN FLEMING star in a story about a young man who fails to follow his father's advice and almost suffers the consequences; DIRK BOGARDE and HONOR BLACKMAN are the leads in a story about a man whose sole passion in life is to become a professional top-flight pianist but is told by FRANCOISE ROSAY that he has no such chance; the third story is a rather dated and foolish morality tale about a kite that just didn't make much sense to me; and the final story--probably the best--is about a man whose wife secretly writes a novel about her great love (a la "Lady Chatterly's Lover") and is confronted by her husband who demands to know who "the man" in the story really is. CECIL PARKER and NORA SWINBURNE play the couple and they're wonderful.

Nicely performed, well scripted and directed, QUARTET has an introduction by Maugham himself which manages to be self-effacing and informative.

One can understand why W Somerset Maugham's writing is celebrated (though can understand if people feel his writing hasn't aged well), have appreciated always his sharp prose, insight and charm. It is interesting to see his work adapted on film, which it isn't enough in my view. Good examples are the three films comprising 'The Aesop's Fables Maugham Concerto Trilogy', three anthology/portmanteau films of three or more segments important in popularising this particular format (especially 'Quartet').

1948's 'Quartet' is the first of this particular trilogy, the other two being 1950's 'Trio' and 1951's 'Encore'. It is not an even film all the way through (anthology films seldom are, in a number of the numerous ones seen there is at least one segment that doesn't work as well as the others), but it is very good with not an awful lot to criticise as an overall whole. Of the three films, 'Quartet' is perhaps the best, though all three are worthwhile and more in their own right. Found a lot to like about all four segments, named "The Facts of Life", "The Alien Corn", "The Kite" and "The Colonel's Lady".

As said, there is not an awful lot wrong at all. For my tastes, "The Kite" ended slightly anti-climactically and "The Alien Corn", while still well done in its own way, beautifully acted, insightful and quite touching, has a different, darker tone than the rest of the lighter, more subtle stories and it slightly jarred in comparison.

There is an awful lot to like in 'Quartet'. Will agree with those saying that "The Colonel's Lady" is the best of the four, found it very insightful, beautifully subtle and very moving, the ending being an especially poignant touch. Loved the twists at the end of each segments, the most surprising being the one for "The Alien Corn", and the thoughtful hosting of W Somerset Maugham himself. 'Journey's End's' RC Sheriff adapts the stories with intelligence, refreshing lightness and respect for Maugham's writing, with a nice mix of emotion, thought-provoking subtlety ("The Facts of Life" being the most subtle and gentle perhaps), real insight into the subject matter, charm and offbeat amusement ("The Kite" particularly).

'Quartet' is beautifully filmed and directed, especially in "The Colonel's Lady", as well as evocatively scored throughout. The cast range from good to brilliant, with the best performance coming from Cecil Parker. It was interesting to see a pre-stardom Dirk Bogarde and he is also very good, as is Honor Blackman

Concluding, very well done. Worth seeing for especially "The Colonel's Lady", which gets my personal vote of the best segments of all three films in the trilogy. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Master storyteller W. Somerset Maugham introduces four of his own short stories in this beautifully presented film. Each story has its own intriguing charm, and the superior cast, headed by Dirk Bogarde, Mai Zetterling and Cecil Parker, elevates these stories to a level of moving drama. All aspects of the production, with each segment handled by a different director, is outstanding. John Greenood's aristocratic score wraps up the film with its own unique style. A very fine English film with moving and memorable episodes.

Somerset Maugham, who wrote tons of plays and stories, introduces his set of four shorts, while telling us a little bit about himself. In Facts of Life, Nicky (Jack Watling) learns a lesson, although we're not sure just what lesson he has learned. In Alien Corn, a young Dirk Bogarde is George Bland, a pianist who is determined to know how good he is, so he brings in an expert to evaluate. (LOVE her HAT!) In The Kite, Herbert Sunbury (George Cole) is in jail for abandoning his wife. We flash back to see what led up to it; his wife Betty (played by Susan Shaw, who was really born Patsy Sloots!) hadn't been very nice to him... In Colonel's Lady, the Colonel's wife has written a book, and EVERYONE is talking about it, much to his dismay.

Note that Hermione Baddeley (plays Beatrice Sunbury) will go on to be Mrs. Naugatuck on TV show Maude, while her sister Angela Baddeley will do mostly British TV series, most notably Upstairs, Downstairs. Probably the biggest star in this group was Dirk Bogarde, who had mixed success in both the British and Hollywood film industry. Playing his part in "Victim" may have altered his later career success. Quite an interesting bio on IMDb, worth the read. Viewers will also recognize Cecil Parker (plays Colonel Peregrine, in Colonel's Lady) from Indiscreet, with Cary Grant. Quartet is an entertaining set of Maugham stories, some have happy endings, some do not.

Somerset Maugham is one of my favorite writers; I have read all his works, and particularly like his colonial pieces in far-off lands. But these four stories are purely domestic England, but that does not diminish their impact. The first story "The Facts of Life" is a cute irony that portrays a clueless young man from a rich family. The outcome, though highly unlikely, is entertaining.

The second story, starring Dirk Bogarde, is also a bit unbelievable, and also a bit tragic. How tragic is it to not be good at the thing you love? After two stories about wealthy sons, Maugham writies "The Kite". in which he tries to aim for the Middle Class and the usual mother-in-law-wife tug of war. The story is a bit banal, but because of the author, we view it with greater meaning.

The best, however, is last. "The Colonel's Lady" is not about his mistress; it is about his wife. This short story is the type of writing that only Maugham and very few others are capable of creating. It is touching, incisive, and heartfelt. To be able to accomplish so much in such a short time is truly amazing. These stories, and particularly the last one, are not to be missed.