Film Review: THE QUIET GIRL (2022): Catherine Clinch’s Lead Role is Quietly Effective in a Very Moving Irish Film

The Quiet Girl Review

The Quiet Girl (2022) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Colm Bairéad and starring Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Michael Patric, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh, Carolyn Bracken and Joan Sheehy.

Director Colm Bairéad’s affecting new movie, The Quiet Girl, is set in rural Ireland in 1981. This film is anchored by the young actress Catherine Clinch who soars in the title role as a young girl named Cáit who is essentially given to her mother’s cousin for a summer in which Cáit will learn to understand what a more nurturing family could be like. This is a moving film full of subtle moments that sneak up on you and when the end credits come up, viewers will be surprised by how much this central character will touch their hearts.

When we meet her, Cáit is situated in a family where there is a lot of chaos. There are too many kids, financial problems and not enough sensitive understanding of her needs for her to truly blossom. By the film’s end, Cáit becomes a more interesting person and discovers more about the nature of family than she ever expected. Her mom (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh) isn’t really mean. She’s just overburdened. Cáit’s dad (Michael Patric) is more of a compulsive character who lacks sensitivity. These parents can’t handle the fact that their daughter is a bit different and seek the help of the mom’s cousin, Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley) and her husband Seán (Andrew Bennett). With their loving support, Cáit learns the true nature of what it’s like to live a more normal life.

One of the most particularly memorable scenes is when Cáit goes missing on Seán. When Seán gets mad at her for running off, there’s a good reason which is revealed later in the movie. Seán isn’t expecting to form a bond with the questioning Cáit who marches to the beat of her own drum, but he does.  Cáit asks questions about why cows drink powdered milk. Seán tells her that he sells the cow’s actual milk and thus she begins to understand a bit more about the true nature of life through their interaction. She also has some lessons of her own to teach her new caregivers in the film.

At first, Cáit wears clothes which are oversized hand-me-downs but eventually, she is taken clothes shopping and gets some more proper things to wear. A lot of the movie’s themes revolve around the revelation of the past. When a funeral is attended, Cáit starts to learn things that makes her more respectful and more sympathetic to her new caregivers who end up caring deeply for the young girl as the fact starts to reveal itself that Cáit’s parents will want her back home to begin school in the fall.

My favorite scene is when Cáit first learns to run fast with Seán who asks her to go back to get the mail for him. The scenes of Cáit running give the audience hope that this character can move towards a brighter future and she’s full of passion and is smart enough to know that she has found a life that could be more conducive to her happiness.

The performances are all of the highest caliber. Catherine Clinch becomes a new star with her tremendous work in this picture which demonstrates she is capable of conveying a significant character transformation on screen. Carrie Crowley and Andrew Bennett are both superb. Bennett, in particular, makes his character feel human and realistic offering Cáit a glimmer of hope among the darkness she seems to be experiencing in her life. Michael Patric is also effective as the insensitive dad who should be getting help with his immediate problems before bringing any more kids into the world. Kate Nic Chonaonaigh is also strong as the mother who is just doing what she can to get by and occasionally turns a blind eye to the harsh realities she is used to living in. Chonaonaigh’s performance stands out even in a film like this which is full of fine performances. Joan Sheehy is also of note for her brief but important turn in the movie as a character who certainly is pivotal to the movie’s story line.

The Quiet Girl has a lot of substance in its powerfully constructed premise. Catherine Clinch makes the movie relatable and Colm Bairéad’s direction is on point for pretty much all of the film as the audience is forced to ask the hard questions as to what is best for Cáit. There are many directions this story could have taken and the path which was chosen for the film is the most realistic and the most moving one. The Quiet Girl is a film with quiet sensitivity that should not be missed. It’s a tearjerker that wholeheartedly earns the audience’s emotions.

Rating: 9/10

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