Local critics harmonious in praise of 'Quartet'

"Quartet," the big-screen directorial debut of legendary actor Dustin Hoffman, is one of the major releases opening in theaters this weekend.

The comedy drama follows the exploits of a British home for retired musicians, which is upended when a star diva ("Downton Abbey" and "Harry Potter" star Maggie Smith) checks in.

Kristin Tillotson of the Star Tribune praises the cast of "Quartet" -- Smith, Billy Connolly, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Michael Gambon" -- as "stellar," and says while the film is never in a hurry, it doesn't need to be.

Tillotston also calls the film "a sweet little parlor piece with no symphonic pretensions."

In his review of the film, Chris Hewitt of the Pioneer Press mainly praises Smith's performance. He says while the acting great "could probably do this sort of thing in her sleep, but she invests a half-century of acting smarts into even the tiniest of moments."

While Hewitt notes the film's "thin plot," he says you will have a "good time" "if you think of it as a big-screen version of one of those pleasant BBC shows about the mild adventures of kind people."

Euan Kerr of Minnesota Public Radio was also impressed with the film, calling it a "marvelous story," noting if you loved "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," you should "not walk, but run to see this film."

See the trailer for "Quartet" below.

Bring Me The News news curator Tim Lammers is also a nationally-syndicated movie journalist whose work appears on more than 50 TV affiliate websites in the U.S. Tim has interviewed more than 1,000 major actors and filmmakers throughout his career, and locally, he reviews films on "KARE 11 Today" and WCCO Radio. Tim's work is also featured on his website, StrictlyCinema.com.