FILM #5
OF 39
95TH ACADEMY AWARDS | 2023 OSCARS CHALLENGE
“THE QUIET GIRL“
FEBRUARY 4, 2023
STREAMING
DAY 12
OF 48
Best INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Ireland
In one household, nine-year-old Cait is a nuisance. Her bratty sister teases her, and her much-too-stressed pregnant tends to have a constantly crying baby and, on occasion, can be found crying herself. The drunkard, cheating father is rarely around.
In another household, however, Cait is a welcomed family member. Her mother’s cousin, Eibhlín Cinnsealach, and her farming husband, Seán, take her in for the summer and show her what a love-filled home can offer her. Cait, who cannot read and wets the bed back at her home, becomes a helpful, well-adapted young girl in the presence of these nurturers.
“The Quiet Girl” relies primarily on lead Catherine Clinch’s reflective looks. She’s exactly how the title describes her, so Clinch spends most of the time quietly observing the world and people around her. Smiles are sparse, but her eyes are sponges, soaking in every detail.
A nosey neighbor reveals the one undercurrent of something more profound happening at the Cinnsealach residence. And though it carries weight, it doesn’t tear the film open substantially. It only gives meaning to why Eibhlín and Seán are so taken by having Cait around.
A palate cleanser of a film, “The Quiet Girl” is a sleepy sweet period drama that focuses on its main character and never really strays from its singular story to tell.
PREVIOUS NOMINATIONS
IRELAND
| First-time nominee |
Rural Ireland 1981. A quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer. She blossoms in their care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one.
Directed by Colm Bairéad
Super LTD
December 16, 2022
94 minutes
ACCOLADES
BAFTA Awards — Best Film Not in the English Language (Nominee)
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards — Best Foreign Film [Winner]
American Society of Cinematographers — Spotlight Award (Nominee)
Berlin International Film Festival — Best Feature Film [Winner]
Denver International Film Festival — Narrative Feature/People’s Choice Award [Winner]
Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards — Best Film [Winner]
European Film Awards — European Cinematography [Winner]
Irish Film and Television Awards — Best Film [Winner]
Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards — Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Foreign Language Feature (Nominee)
New Mexico Film Critics Awards — Best Music/Score [Winner]
Satellite Awards — Best Motion Picture, International (Nominee)
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
2. “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
3. “Close” (Belgium)
4. “The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
5. “EO” (Poland)
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
2. “Close” (Belgium)
3. “The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
4. “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
5. “EO” (Poland)
