Quills (2000)
Geoffrey Rush plays the slightly insane Marquis de Sade, a sexually explicit writer during 18th century France. Banished to an asylum, he still writes his naughty stories, smuggling them out through Kate Winslet, the laundress. While the powers that be want him to stay silent, Kate and his other readers are riveted. Meanwhile, the priest Joaquin Phoenix tries to hide his growing feelings for Kate, and Doctor Michael Caine is sent to evaluate the patient.
If you like extremely naughty period pieces, you’ll probably like Quills. It feels a bit over the top, but that tone is probably on purpose to fit in with the setting. A low-key film in a lunatic asylum just wouldn’t work! Geoffrey does a very good job, but since he’s not exactly likable, it’s hard to root for him. If he had a compulsion to write dirty stories, why did he have to smuggle them out for public consumption? If his were the only eyes to read his work, it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. It also would have made for a much shorter movie.
I didn’t end up liking this film, because besides Michael Caine, I’m not a big fan of the cast. And, while I’m not exactly a prudish film-goer, I like the vulgarity to serve a purpose in the film, rather than just to titillate the audience. This film has excessive sexual content, both consensual and nonconsensual, and I felt like I needed a good cleansing afterwards.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to sex scenes, nudity, violence, and strong sexual content, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it. Also, there may or may not be rape scenes.
More Michael Caine movies here!
More Kate Winslet movies here!
If you like extremely naughty period pieces, you’ll probably like Quills. It feels a bit over the top, but that tone is probably on purpose to fit in with the setting. A low-key film in a lunatic asylum just wouldn’t work! Geoffrey does a very good job, but since he’s not exactly likable, it’s hard to root for him. If he had a compulsion to write dirty stories, why did he have to smuggle them out for public consumption? If his were the only eyes to read his work, it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. It also would have made for a much shorter movie.
I didn’t end up liking this film, because besides Michael Caine, I’m not a big fan of the cast. And, while I’m not exactly a prudish film-goer, I like the vulgarity to serve a purpose in the film, rather than just to titillate the audience. This film has excessive sexual content, both consensual and nonconsensual, and I felt like I needed a good cleansing afterwards.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to sex scenes, nudity, violence, and strong sexual content, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it. Also, there may or may not be rape scenes.
More Michael Caine movies here!
More Kate Winslet movies here!