The reverberation of the French Revolution`s guillotine is still ringing in our ears when we meet the Marquis in the insane asylum of Charenton where he`s been incarcerated for crimes not specified in this film. Is he mad, this man of letters whose compulsion is to write? His lewd scribblings are smuggled out of the asylum by Madeleine, (Kate Winslet) a servant who finds multiple uses for her laundry basket. She`s addicted tothe writings of the Marquis so that when he gets up the nose of Napoleon and the scientist cum torturer Dr Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) is sent to Charenton to establish order, both she and the Marquis find ever inventive ways of getting his word out. The person in the middle is the Abbe Coulmier (Joachin Phoenix), who`s run the asylum on very liberal ideals, believing that creativity can control demons...Quills is the work of director Philip Kaufman and screenwriter Douglas Wright, who adapted his own stage play. It`s not the first time that Kaufman has dealt with provocative themes: he made Henry and June about Henry Miller, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being based on Milan Kundera`s novel. Here, he evokes an exhilarating and brave performance from Geoffrey Rush as the spoilt, egocentric writer, and a solid one from Kate Winslet. Less can be said of Caine and Phoenix.It is a film that strikes at the heart of something very important to me - the way freedom of expression invites repression, but at the same time Kaufman`s film is rather distanced and non-focussed. The ideas are more important here than the drama. Comments from David StrattonI admire the way Philip Kaufman is willing to tackle subjects nobody else in Hollywood would. The stage origins may show at times, but this is a film which cheerfully, and with good humour, explores the character one one of history`s most controversial and confronting writers. Geoffrey Rush gives an exceptional, bravura, bold performace; Kat Winslet is gorgeous; Michael Caine and Joaquin Phoenix are both excellent. The film is surprisingly funny, but it doesn shy away from questions about the effect on others of the writings of a man like De Sade.
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