Quills | | Cast : | Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine | | Director : | Philip Kaufman | | Studio : | Twentieth Century Fox | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | December 15, 2000 | | DVD Released Date : | December 17, 2002 | | Language : | French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 04, 2005 | | Summary | *****5 STARS***** | Content
 | Great story about the evils of censorship and the hypocrisy of those whom where behind the censoring. Geffory Rush gives one of, if not the best performance of his career. Wonderful supporting cast of Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine, and Amelia Warner. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 05, 2005 | | Summary | Gratuitous and Self-Important | Content
| I must admit, I fast-forwaded through a substantial portion of this movie. While it does feature exceptional performances (especially from Kate Winslet- what a fabulous actress)and has potentially fascinating premise, the end made me laugh too much to take it seriously. The movie took too many pains to drum into the audience how like one of the Marquis' stories the actual events in the movie were. Are we that dumb that we need so many hints? The 'twist' which is horrifically out of place and woefully contrived left me saying 'oh those tricky tricky filmmakers!' Turning Joaquin Phoenix into a mini de Sade, how clever! While Quills is worth watching for the performances (and the pleasant surprise of finding Lorna Doone from the movie Lorna Doone in a small role as Michael Caine's wife) don't go out of your way. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 07, 2005 | | Summary | Sick of Quills | Content
| Beginning with the French Revolution and bloody beheadings, this movie sickens the viewer. Geoffrey Rush is so terribly convincing as the Marquis de Sade; his performance in fact, was stupendous. Kate Winslet too, was remarkable and very convincing as Madeleine virginal laundress who is fascinated with de Sade's scandalous prose. The rest of the cast was convincing as well.
Imprisoned in France's Charenton asylum at the turn of the 18th century, de Sade is a maniacal writer on the guise of being elegant and refined; and tell me why he was not beheaded during the Revolution? He lives in Charenton Asylum, writing out his sexual fantasies that are so perverse they rival today's smutty romance novels. It comes out that his work is in defense against the repression and hypocrisy of his society, but he commits terrible acts that include spitting on the bible and mocking and reviling God.
All of it appalled me, although it of course reflected De Sade's depravity. Deprived of quill and ink, he writes with wine, then blood,among other things, and his descent into madness leads to terrible consequences--although he is not directly to blame for things. The viewer is left feeling compassionate for De Sade who is all the more determined to embrace freedom of expression while the hypocritical powers that be try to silence him.
I was shocked at Madeleine's passion for De Sade's work as it leads her to smuggle De Sade's manuscripts out of Charenton to the horror of abbé Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix),who taught her to read. Coulmier is first seen as compassionate and then he becomes a pathetic thing.In the end he becomes sadistic as he ultimately destroys De Sade--and his desire for Madeleine leads to sick dreams and his own descent into madness.
The climax to the movie is ghastly--with nude bodies splayed throughout sadistic scenes that lead to a sick ending as the evil doctor: Royer-Collard (Michael Caine, comes on the scene. Sent to silence de Sade in the end the doctor shows his true colors as he winks at the murder of the poor laundress and publishes De Sade's work for personal gain!
I like how Royer gets what's coming to him when De Sade exposes him and how Royer's most innocent victim, his poor beautiful wife, becomes a fan of De Sade's work and is influenced by it and leaves him for another man! Yet, it relieves me that this movie was adapted by Doug Wright from his own stage play and was a work of fiction! |
| Rating | | | Date | April 27, 2005 | | Summary | Rush is a true HOTTIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Content
| "Quills" is simply one of the best movies of the year! But the only reason i rented the movie is because of Geoffrey Rush! What a HOTTIE! I saw him on the cover i just had to buy it. i hadn't even seen it yet. but if Geff is in it, i buy it. Props to Joaquin Phoenix. but the real story is of Geoffrey rush! i can't get enough of him. My stomach jumps everytime i hear his name. i have about a million pictures of him on my wall. Loved Pirates of the carribbean. Only because of him. I think im in love!!!!!!!!! |
| Rating | | | Date | March 25, 2005 | | Summary | A marvelous film! | Content
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Philip Kaufman made an admirable and artistic film with this unusual material about Sade Marquis in the middle of the hell. Mrs. Winslet made to date her best achievement on screen. Geoffrey Rush starred with honors this extremely difficult character with lucidity, dynamism and so far of the classic gestures so typical in some raising stars , he was possessed of Marquis' spirit , giving one of the best acting in years. Dark poetry, horror and claustrophobic anguish: you watch the film and through your mind are present not only Sade, but Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Poe, Verlaine and Artaud phantoms.
Excellent film and may be this was the masterpiece of Philip Kaufman.
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