A Late Quartet

Although the tone and pacing may not set the screen alight, A Late Quartet has sensitivity, sophistication and a strong, watchable cast ensemble.

A little more of that kind of restrained elegance and musical beauty may have freed the film from its somewhat stifling atmosphere.

Little more than a muddled cacophony of clichéd dramatic twists and transparent developments, somehow belying its eloquent and graceful leitmotif.

Surrounded by the unraveling lives of his longtime musical partners, the understated gravity that Walken gives this fading arts patriarch is a gratifying reminder that it's the quieter notes that are often the most resonant, onstage and off.