Quills - a review

Quills (2000)
Directed by Philip Kaufman

I watched this movie for the first time last night. It first came out in 2000 and I've always wanted to check it out. It starrs Joaquin Phoenix, Kate Winslett, Geofferey Rush and Michael Caine. The all star cast is well supported by an excellent script and an even more interesting storyline.

The movie depicts the trial and tribulations of a mental asylum which happens to house the irrepresible Marquis de Sade. Set in the Napoleanic era, this movie deals with a time that had all of France aghast at the lude and sexually explicit writings of the Marquis. A revolution in literature and a scandal in religious circles makes this a very interesting storyline.

Geofferey Rush depicts the Marquis with remarkable skill and panache. The man comes off as so raw and lude yet oddly refined. Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator) is a favourite of mine and he pulls off another stellar performance. I also have a lot more respect fro Kate Winslett after this movie. Michael Caine, to put it mildly, is spectacular as always. However, the Marquis steals the show all the way to the bank.

Funny, raw, sexy, and quite refereshing. A well earned 8/10.