Quills

Rating:
Summary: VIRTUE VS. VICE
Review: Academy Award Winner Geoffrey Rush and Academy Award nominees Kate Winslet and Joaquin Phoenix all turn in phenomenal performances in this film. Geoffrey Rush stars as the erotic-thinking Marquis de Sade. Never have I seen G. Rush like this!! And Kate Winslet once again proves to be a stellar actress, by turning in a great performance. In Quills, she plays a virginal laundry maid named Madeleine, who's voluptuous body and inquisitve imagination fuel the Marquis' quill tip, and provide inspiration for his seductive tales. Joaquin Phoenix portrays a young priest who is caught between his desire for Madeleine and his duty as an Abbe. All around a dark, sexy film. Not for everyone, but it definitely is worth seeing for those who enjoy films that stray from the norm.

Rating:
Summary: Unrestrained And Unforgettable.
Review: "Quills" is a powerful, passionate and unforgettable masterpiece. It is a surreal, realistic journey into the world of the Marquis De Sade, brilliantly played by Geoffrey Rush. Director Philip Kaufman films "Quills" with elegant style and surreal brilliance, this movie reminded me of the great Spanish surrealist Luis Buñuel, who "Quills" would make proud. The movie is visceral, chilling and shocking. Kaufman is not afraid to venture into the mind of Sade, into the realms of what he was writing. And Rush in his incredible performance shows us the tight-rope between madness and genius. He is charming and savage, vile and romantic, much like Sade's works. The photography and art direction can be hypnotic and the screenplay by Doug Wright is brilliant in its construction and complexity. "Quills" is also a look into the mirror with the characters. We see representations of the hypocrites who attack Sade and yet practice what he writes about behind closed doors and nice people who are restrained from even love because of who they are. "Quills," though sometimes strong and gothic, also has touches of dark romanticism and passion. It speaks to the restrained spirit but also to the intellectual debater. It speaks to forbidden lust and to strong moral ground. "Quills" is a great film. It is insane, comic, perversely alluring, darkly romantic, and a great gothic tale. Not to miss.

Rating:
Summary: its beautifully done
Review: this movie is wonderful. Geoffrey Rush is a great actor who portrays the Marquis beautifully. hehe, even my mother thought the marquis was kool after watching quills. with hints of forbidden love and erotica, this movie is breathtaking. it keeps you at the edge of your seat. its unpredictable unlike other movies (the haunting...its just ridiculous). the movie keeps you coming back for more, wanting to learn more about the histor of the Marquis himself. its a wonderful movie but its not for the faint hearted. its sadistic, and its great, i love it.

Rating:
Summary: Completely Unique & Compelling
Review: Great cast, thoughtful direction & cinematography and a completely fresh approach to the subject matter QUILLS is a thoroughly engrossing DVD (and certainly a bargain price on Amazon!). Extra featurettes enhance the movie experience and a delightful commentary track with the screenwriter is a real treat. Winslet, Rush and a colorful supporting cast will keep you mesmerized. Phoenix is sexy and displays an incredible range, in spite of an accent that comes and goes. Oscar winner Caine seems to walk through much of his performance, but remains a forceful presence.

Rating:
Summary: from Fringe Video Fanzine Issue #005
Review: Not a biography, however the Quills is a arthouse mix of real life, and fiction centring around the Marquis de Sade [played by Geoffrey Rush / House on Haunted Hill (1999) / Mystery Men (1999)]. The Marquis was French author who, because of his remarkably scandalous life, spent more than 27 years in prison and from his cell witnessed more than 1,800 beheading's. To this day, most of his works are still banned in many countries, and are considered obscene and unpublishable. This is just one more film in a string of movies about the eternal rebel. Kate Winslet [Titanic (1997) / Heavenly Creatures (1994)] shows off her considerable talents well, as she plays laundry maid Madeleine LeClerc, who helps to smuggle de Sade's works into the Paris underground. "...The titillating passages whip all of France into a sexual frenzy, until a fiercely conservative doctor [Michael Caine / Dressed to Kill (1980) / Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979) / Man Who Would Be King (1975)] tries to put an end to the fun..." Among Pyromaniacs, Delusionists, Gender Dysfunctional's, and the Physically Challenged de Sade stirs up the insane asylum staging plays al 'la Peter Brooke's Marat / Sade (1966). Indulgence instead of abstinence was his creed, and the more the authorities tried to censor the mad writer, the more they seemed to inspire his art. This is an great film with voyeur shots, and peering camera eyes for the highbrow crowd. I think that the subject matter demands that the film go further into the world of extremism. This film has too much drama, and not enough sadism. It's not anything close to the vile taste it should be, such as Pier Paolo Pasolini's 120 Days of Sodom (1975), however Quills is a good introduction to the world of de Sade for those who don't know his work. The commentary track by the very involved screen writer [Doug Wright] is intelligent and informative. I'm looking forward to seeing more of his stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Quills-- Popkorn Junkie's (and my) review
Review: I'll admit it...before I saw "Quills" I knew nothing about the Marquis de Sade. I kept asking people to see this film with me but most of them cringed at the offer and muttered something about "Justine." Because of my being not only a Popkorn Junkie but a Joaquin Junkie as well I knew I had to go, even if it meant by myself. It's funny, most of the people in the audience were alone....I soon would find out why (it's kind of a dirty movie but not shocking or anything....it's intelligently dirty).

"Quills" is about the notoriously perverted author the Marquis de Sade and his life while imprisoned in a mental institute. Geoffrey Rush plays the Marquis and does an excellent job portraying the character. He delivers his often devilishly loaded lines with precision....there are so many deliciously naughty innuendos in the script that I felt a little guilty taking pleasure in them. Anyway, the institution (that is the Marquis' prison) is run by the good natured and totally gorgeous Abbe Coulmier, played by Joaquin Phoenix (that's how the "totally gorgeous" part fits in). The Abbe encourages the Marquis to write because the Abbe feels it is a sort of therapy (he is a real forward thinker considering the times)...if the Marquis can expel the pornography from his mind perhaps he might become cured of his illness. Unfortunately the Marquis devises a plan to smuggle his writings out to the general public (which later on gets the Abbe in trouble and leads to the Marquis' demise). Kate Winslet plays the part of Madeline, a laundry girl who steals the heart of both the Marquis and the Abbe and helps the Marquis with his publishing.

The main story in the film involves the little love triangle going on between the Marquis, Madeline, and the Abbe but the subplot involves Micheal Caine's character, the evil Dr. Royer-Collard (a far cry from the lovable Dr. Larch he played in "The Cider House Rules"). Dr. Royer-Collard is sent to oversee the Abbe and the mental institution, however, unlike the Abbe the Dr. feels that patients will only get better if they are physically and mentally tortured (yeah, that makes sense....whatever). Anyway, I won't give away any more of the plot or the climactic ending....you'll have to give in and see "Quills" for yourself!

This film is passionate and at some parts a little raunchy... mostly in an intelligent and sometimes almost poetic way but the cast is what makes this film a "must see". Rush and Winslet have a great chemistry together and they clearly enjoy the many chances they have to make plays on words. Phoenix burns the screen up whenever he's on as he captures the tortured feelings of a priest who must struggle with his heart and his duty.

Recommendation: If you like "art-house" type movies, delicious innuendos, or any of the cast members you will take great pleasure in watching this film. But don't feel guilty...it's just a movie!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent period piece, definitely a hidden gem.
Review: Having read the works of the Marquis at great length, I was quite enthused to see Quills, and I was not the least bit disappointed. It depicts the Marquis as a man of great talent with words, but a man haunted by lust and perversion. His imprisonment in Charenton (a French insane asylum) only inspired his insatiable lust, which spilled out onto paper.

Geoffrey Rush gives his most memorable performance as the Marquis, giving wit and grace, as well as repulsion. Joaquin Pheonix (donning a convincing English accent) plays Abbe, the preist who runs the asylum, who is pushed to his wits end by the Marquis resistance to his treatment. Much of the movie focuses on the duality between these two characters. Kate Winslet and Michael Caine give stellar supporting roles, with Winslet as the laundry lass who falls for the Marquis, and Caine as the menacing doctor who comes on behalf of Napolean to silence the Marquis, who is smuggling his writings out of the hospital for publication. All actors play their roles with passion and compassion, making Quills one of the most entertaining movies I have seen in a while.

What was equally striking was the costumes and sets, which were made, at great expense no doubt, to fully resemble the attire and settings of that time. Charenton, in which much of the movie takes place, is amazingly detailed, giving the movie a very authentic feel. What is covered at great length on the DVD is the costume and set design, in which we get to meet the people who labored intensely to create a masteful period piece.

After seeing Quills, you will most likely be tempted to read the works of the Marquis. That is the real gift of a good movie, where it inspires you to think beyond the scope of the movie itself. What you will get from Quills, at the very least, is a well acted, well written, and superbly made movie.

Rating:
Summary: DARK AND DEPRESSING PERIOD PIECE...
Review: Don't get me wrong. I generally love period pieces. I did not love this one, as I found it to be too depressing, though marvelously acted by a stellar cast. Most of the film takes place in an insane asylum which houses the Marquis de Sade.

Geoffrey Rush is marvelous and shines (no pun intended) as the Marquis de Sade, whom he plays as a deliciously salacious, old reprobate with a highly droll sense of humor. Joaquin Phoenix deftly plays the part of the young Abbe Coulmier, a tortured soul who is trying to fulfill his duties as a priest, while trying to resist his attraction to the virginal asylum laundress, Madeleine, beautifully acted by the earthy and talented Kate Winslet. Michael Caine plays the part of the evil Dr. Royer-Collard, who assumes control of the asylum, after Napolean becomes incensed at the licentiousness of the prose being published by the asylum's high profile inmate.

The story takes place in France at the turn of the eighteenth century in the gothic and forbidding Charenton asylum in which the notorious Marquis de Sade resides as an inmate. The asylum is run by Abbe Coulmier, who oversees the asylum with a gentle hand and believes that self-expression through artistic venues prevents the inmates from acting out those behaviors which got them sent to the asylum in the first place. It seems a serene, almost idyllic, well run place, with a relatively contented population.

Geoffrey Rush's portrayal of the Marquis is brilliant, and he makes the most of the often witty dialogue which the screenplay has provided. As a slightly rumpled member of the nobility, he lives in the asylum in faded splendor, writing sexual fantasies that he may no longer act out. Secretly assisted by the laundress, Madeleine, who ensures that his bawdy, sexually explicit, salacious stories reach a publisher, his prose becomes the toast of France, whose citizens eagerly await a new offering by the Marquis. His published story, "Justine", is ultimately read to the Emperor Napoleon, who decides that the asylum needs someone who will quell the Marquis.

Enter Dr. Royer-Collard, a doctor given to the use of an Iron Maiden and a water dunking apparatus to "cure" those unfortunate, disaffected ,and mentally ill individuals who come under his "care". It is he who is sent to the asylum and ultimately wrests control from the beleagered Abbe Coulmier, who is wrestling with his own demons and does not, at first, see what is coming down the pike.

Under Dr. Royer-Collard's administration, the asylum undergoes a change. It becomes more repressive. The more repressive it becomes, however, the more the Marquis demands to be heard. The more he demands to be heard, the more repressive the asylum becomes. It becomes a vicious cycle, with issues of power and control dominating.

Invariably, the Marquis rebels against this repression,. His rebellion initially manifests itself by tweaking the doctor. The Marquis tweaks him once too many times, however, and in a most public fashion. This incurs the doctor's wrath. As the doctor gains total control of the asylum, sadistic practices mask themselves as treatment. This, however, does not stop Madeleine from doing all she can to get the Marquis' writings to his adoring public, to her ultimate dismay.

The Marquis continues to write, even as his paper, quills, and ink, are removed, resorting to using using wine, blood, and even feces to write on sheets, his clothing, and the walls which imprison him. He simply will not be silenced.

Meanwhile, the good Abbe Coulmier is out of his league. Torn by his love and desire for Madeleine, as well as by his own impotence in the face of Dr. Royer-Collard's policies and practices, he begins his own seeming descent into madness. When he finally realizes that the bland and benign countenance of the doctor hides a malignancy greater than that which he had encountered among the inmates of the asylum, it is far too late.

The film is really an allegory, and there it succeeds brilliantly. As entertainment, however, I found it to be too dark and depressing to fully enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Art At Its Sickest
Review: I have recently become facinated by all things French and unfortunately the Marquis De Sade just happens to be French.

So I dared to watch this movie because I had only heard about how horrible De Sade was but never ventured out on my own to really see what he was all about. For a first encounter this movie is probably pretty tame, it hints at abuse, beatings and sexual perversion but dosen't actually show anything worse than the average R rated movie these days.

Geoffrey Rush plays Marquise De Sade with perfection....what other actor could play a pale, ugly, pervert with such conviction. He will give you the creeps when he attempts his seduction on Kate Winslet, the hairs on my neck CRAWLED. He convinces with a sincere eeriness as he spends the film writing his shocking stories with everything from ink, to blood, to his own waste. I suppose some will admire his tenacity to his art....I just found it insane. Kate Winslet plays the role of a virginal chamber maid who relays Sade's stories out of the asylum and onto the French masses. Joaquin Phoenix as usual plays someone who begins with morals and ends up being a freak. He is also an actor who can deceive convincingly. Michael Caine is the aged doctor who arrives at the aslyum to try and stop Sade's writing. He marries a very young girl and shows his own sexual perversions along the way. Another creep! The other actors who play the insane members of the asylum are fantastic and entirely believable. A great production on an awful subject and it will leave you sneering!

Rating:
Summary: An Exquisitely Dark and Gorgeous Period Piece
Review: QUILLS centers around the Marquis de Sade's imprisonment in Charenton near the end of the eighteenth century. The film focuses on de Sade's continued efforts to write and publish his work from Charenton, despite the efforts of others to prevent him from doing so.

QUILLS is, I think, a very dark and interesting movie and one that's gorgeously filmed, however, watchers should be aware that QUILLS doesn't depict factual events in the life of de Sade (Geoffrey Rush) at all. Although de Sade did spend almost thirty years of his life in and out of various prisons, it wasn't his writing (which really was pretty tame by today's standards) that got him there. It was, instead, his vicious and vindictive mother-in-law, Madame de Montreuil, mother of de Sade's adoring wife, Pelagie, who had de Sade imprisoned under a "lettre de cachet."

The opening scene of QUILLS sets the film's dark mood. Watching from an upper window in Charenton, de Sade sees the guillotine at work. We are led to believe that the bloody events during the French Revolution caused de Sade to write some of his most well known works, CRIMES OF LOVE and JUSTINE, in particular, however, neither of these works was written during de Sade's incarceration at Charenton. Although I liked QUILLS very much, it does play fast and loose with the facts. This artistic license is, of course, sometimes good and sometimes bad. In the case of QUILLS, I think it was okay. It really didn't bother me at all, but then I all ready knew much about the historical de Sade and I also knew that QUILLS was based, not on the actual facts of de Sade's life, but on a play.

In QUILLS, de Sade is portrayed as writer who simply won't be stopped. He is encouraged in this pursuit by a young priest, Abbe de Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix), the director of Charenton. Although de Coulmier is, at first, sympathetic to de Sade, encouraging him to write and to direct the other inmates in producing plays, de Sade simply pushes him too far. When Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) enters the picture, de Sade finds himself without paper or quills. Not to be stopped, he resorts to writing on his clothes and bed linens with wine and blood. When even his clothes are taken away and his tongue cut out, he writes with his own excrement.

In the film, de Sade gets his manuscripts to his Paris publisher by way of one the prison's laundresses, Madeleine (Kate Winslet). Madeleine has more than a bit of the sadist in her and she's a regular visitor to de Sade's cell, however, in reality, it was de Sade's longtime companion, Madame Quesnet, who delivered the manuscripts to Paris. For some reason, de Sade's relationship with Madame Quesnet was totally ignored in QUILLS despite the fact that she was even permitted to have a room next to de Sade in order to keep him company (I suppose it was ignored because it was quite undramatic, certainly not the fodder of good moviemaking). Another historical inaccuracy are the scenes with de Sade's wife, Pelagie. Although Pelagie adored de Sade, she was very much her mother's daughter and I don't think she ever visited de Sade in Charenton.

One of the best things about QUILLS is the decadently delicious dialogue, all of which is delivered perfectly by the film's stars. The best lines, of course, go to Rush, but Phoenix also has some that are priceless.

Geoffrey Rush plays de Sade with a wicked, devilish, dark sort of charm that de Sade, by all historical accounts, never possessed. However, Rush's portrayal does add much to the film. He's twisted, he's seductive, he's perfect for the role. Rush is able to slide from the charming to the comic to the repulsive without missing a beat. Of course, if you've read anything about de Sade, you'll know that the tall and handsome Rush looks nothing like the rather short and definitely obese de Sade. And, by the time he was incarcerated in Charenton, no one could really call de Sade "handsome."

Joaquin Phoenix plays Abbe de Coulmier to perfection, although he in no way resembles the historical de Coulmier just as Rush in no way resembles de Sade. de Coulmier was almost a dwarf and certainly not tall and handsome as is Phoenix. Phoenix does, however, manage to convey the abbe's gentle, kind qualities and his attempts at friendship with de Sade and this is, I think, more important that "getting his looks right."

Michael Caine is good in his role as Dr. Royer-Collard, bringing to life all the insensitivities and cruelties of a man in the employ of Napoleon. I only wish the film would have explored his relationship with his wife in greater detail.

Kate Winslet as Madeleine and Amelia Warner as Dr. Royer-Collard's child bride could have been wonderful, I think, but QUILLS overlooks the female roles and seeks, instead to capitalize on the male ones.

QUILLS is a very dark film and it's not one for the faint hearted. It is, however, gorgeously filmed and, personally, I loved it. I do think, however, that viewers have to be aware that they are not seeing the "real," historical de Sade, but a romanticized version, instead. One can't watch QUILLS and then go out and think they know the "facts" of de Sade's life because QUILLS simply doesn't portray the facts. (Unknown to many is the fact that de Sade was never actually convicted of a crime, that the eccentricities of his wife, Pelagie, were far worse than anything de Sade could ever dream up, and that his writing, especially in Charenton, was really rather bland. In fact, the things de Sade wrote in Charenton were things he hoped would later be produced by the Comedie Francaise.)

With the one caveat that they won't be seeing the historical de Sade, I would recommend QUILLS to anyone who loves well-written, well-produced films. You won't come away from it knowing much about who de Sade really was, but you will get a lesson in the art and craft of filmmaking. Anyone who's interested in learning more about the historical de Sade would probably find Francine du Plessix Gray's book, AT HOME WITH THE MARQUIS DE SADE wonderful reading.