Christopher Walken has had a career of two halves. Thanks to his scene-stealing in Annie Hall as Annie’s brother Duane, Walken carved out a career as one of Hollywood’s go-to weirdos. His gaunt features, wiry movements and bizarre speech patterns were edgily disquieting and perfect for the kind of characters who you wouldn’t want to share a taxi with. Three minutes of tap-dancing in Fatboy Slim’s video for 'Weapon of Choice' changed all that; now the quirks that once made him vaguely sinister, have made him a lovable kook who enjoys sending himself up on SNL.
Last year was similarly a tale of two halves for Walken, filming both Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths and Yaron Zilberman’s A Late Quartet. Oscar buzz surrounded his eccentric performance in the former but it is his assured, relaxed and deeply moving performance in A Late Quartet that really impresses. Walken plays Peter, the cellist in a world famous quartet alongside viola player Juliette (Catherine Keener) and violinists Daniel (Mark Ivanir) and Robert (Philip Seymour Hoffman). As they begin rehearsal for their latest season, Peter feels unwell and is diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson’s. When Peter tells the others that their next concert will be his last, personal and professional jealousies are revealed and the quartet begins to fall apart.
Just as in a musical quartet, the four actors perform beautifully together. Walken’s Peter is undoubtedly the heart of the piece but the upheaval faced by the rest of the quartet in the shadow of Peter’s illness is just as affecting. The love triangle between Daniel, Robert and Juliette may be the stuff of soap opera but the natural feel of the performances and the subtlety of the script make it all believable. If the sub-plot of a love affair involving Robert and Juliette’s daughter Alexandra (Imogen Poots) feels a little tacked-on, it is forgivable. Zilberman’s direction meanwhile, is unshowy yet polished, allowing both the music and the performances room to breathe.
A touching and accomplished work from all involved, A Late Quartet is a quiet gem. More of this please Mr. Walken.