A late quartet is about a string quartet’s struggle to stay together, after illness, egos and infatuation get in the way. With powerful performances from Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Christopher Walken, this movie is very captivating and examines well the kind of dynamics that can take place in a group of people who have known each other for a lifetime.
"Adultery, unfulfilled ambition, envy, mother-daughter tensions, disease-all the standard and predictable conflicts are there, as in a soap opera."
— David Denby
"The movie is haut-bourgeois to the bone, but so am I: Let's hear some chamber music and have a little laugh and a cry!"
— David Edelstein
When the beloved cellist of a world-renowned string quartet is diagnosed with a life threatening illness, the group's future suddenly hangs in the balance as suppressed emotions, competing egos and uncontrollable passions threaten to derail years of friendship and collaboration. As they are about to play their 25th anniversary concert — quite possibly their last — only their intimate bond and the power of music can preserve their legacy.