The Quiet Reviews

Not for me

The story revolves around Dot, a deaf mute. She is sent to live with her godparents and their daughter Nina, where she discovers the secrets of her new family. She learns of an incestuous relationship between Nina and her father, which has driven Nina into a mad state, and led her to plan the murder of her father. Knowing that Dot cannot (allegedly) speak or hear, and thus cannot tell anyone, Nina confides in her the actions of her father and her plans to murder him.I think most people will rent this to see Cuthbert but you don't see any flesh so it will probably dissapoint.

A Great Movie

I loved this movie. The reviews that I heard weren't so good but I already got it in the post anyway so I laid down on my couch for a what I thought was a boring waste of time. Boy was I wrong!!!! I sat up in 15 mins glued to the screen and just baffled by so many elements of the film. It is a very sensitive film obviously about incest, but I like it because it is real! Anything you can think of ...this films has it. It has sympathy for Dot, disgust for the father, you really don;t know if to slap the mom or hug her, and you really feel for the daughter that is being abused. There is the peer pressure element for her to lose her virginity but then she is holding a secret that she no longer has it.....it has so many twists to it. There is some humourous parts as well....with Dot. She is a very smart girl in this movie. It is just a fine film. I would watch it again and I would indeed include it in my DVD collection.

Compelling and disturbing

If you got this sneaky number in just because you searched for elisha cuthbert and erotic thriller, you may be slightly disappointed.... yet this film is a bit of a hidden gem.

There's not a great deal to the story, and nothing moves at a quick pace, but both Belle and Cuthbert are really really good, as they need to be, and completely suck you into their messed up, confused lives.

It's not for the emotionally unstable, and will leave you feeling slightly disturbed by the ongoings.... yet, it really is fantastically well made, and somewhat enchanting. You will be compelled by it.

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The Quiet

This is not the kind of movie I normally rent, or expect to enjoy, but I thought it was marvellous and award 5 stars without hesitation. It has a quite fascinating, original storyline, some superbly polished acting, and very skillful as well as imaginative direction. In fact, it was SO compelling and atmospheric, from start to finish, it has haunted me for days and driven me to write this, my first ever review. I won't bother with a detailed synopsis - you can read that elsewhere, and anyway I'll only give the story away - no, I just want to describe why I enjoyed it. The movie is an erotic psychological thriller, not a family film, though it is about a family, a very dysfunctional, middle-class family that harbours a deep, incestuous secret. An adopted, deaf-mute girl arrives and she fathoms their secret; only she has a dark secret of her own. The whole story is built on lies and the way we use them to protect ourselves, protect ourselves from the truth. Although I was impressed by Nina (Elisha Cuthbert), a very pretty, popular cheerleader but a profoundly damaged girl, top-marks go to Dot (Camilla Belle), the deaf-mute character, for whom I felt incredible empathy. The cinematography - which I believe used HD digital media rather than celluloid - captured the dark, unwholesome mood of the piece and the judicious use of Beethoven's piano music, along with biographical insights into the composer's disability, all add to the powerful ambience of the film. The ending is satisfying, though unexpected, with a kind of justice or nemesis about it. 'The Quiet' will not be everyone's cup of tea, and some of its reviews were barely favourable, but if you want a movie that's adult and quite gripping, then this could perhaps be your next rental.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Quietly boring..

Slow paced, sexually charged drama. The sense of family dysfuctionality is evident from the start. We see that something is not quite right between Elisha and her father early on, and slowly but surely the full extent of it is revealed.

The film is narrated by the main character who plays the deaf girl. While some of her thoughts did strike an emotional chord, some of the lines seemed predictable, almost like you could finish the sentence off !

It was disturbing to watch although did not become too gruesome. Elisha plays her part well as a problematic and troubled cheerleader. You do feel for the mother who is consistently rejected from her husband. The themes of adolescence, family relationships and sex are interesting here but the film just seemed to drag.

You will relate to the main character if you have ever felt invisible or an introverted type who seems to be looking at life as an observer.

The film was watchable but I don't think I would watch it again.

Customer Review

I watched this film on the strength of other reviews.....pleased I did.

It is a dark and disturbing drama of a seriously dysfunctional but wealthy American family who 'take in' a deaf/mute young lady and bring her into their arms.....sort of!

Well acted,atmospheric and very,very disturbing.

Highly recommended.

very sensitive film

very sensitive film .... frist i watch i do enjoy watch it is not bad .......

Average apart from excellent Elisha

The film was low budget and fairly average, despite the intensity of some scenes, but I was still very pleased by the efforts of the Cast. I thought that Elisha in particular showed more of what she's about with a whole-hearted performance as the disillusioned teen, Nina and I will look out for more of her movie-outings in the future.

Thought -provoking

Thought-provoking look and society and the hidden secrets we all hold inside....but never question

A must see for those who like movies which touch on sensitive subjects.

[Highly rated reviewer]

A little bit like American Beauty

Interesting film surrounding an orphaned girl that is taken in by her godparents. The girl comes to learn the family secrets through her quiet nature, which encourages the family to expose their darkest secrets to her. It does remind me of American Beauty a little in the makeup of the film structure, but is also very different and quite clever. Again Alisha Cuthbert plays her part well, but she is still playing young temptress like roles.