Written by Andreas Babiolakis

We’re covering the Academy Award nominees that we haven’t reviewed yet.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Best International Feature Film nominees at this year's Academy Awards, Colm Bairéad's The Quiet Girl likely raised a few eyebrows. What even is this film that was barely being brought up for all of last year? I'll tell you what it is: it's a rare moment where the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can introduce a film of pure excellence to the masses, rather than zero in on the works we've heard about a trillion times before. The Quiet Girl is perhaps my favourite discovery of last year from this year’s nominees. It was certainly off of my radar, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure it is on yours: The Quiet Girl wasn't discussed enough.

A coming-of-age drama involving a young girl living a life of poverty and malnourishment, this feature is spoken mostly in English at first. Little Cáit's family is going to grow some more with a baby on the way, yet her parents cannot afford to take care of all of their kids. They send nine-year-old Cáit to live with distant relatives deep into the countryside. Cáit doesn't seem thrilled, but she is inherently shy: a trait that will get in her way quite often. These relatives aren't exactly prepared to take care of her but are willing to do their best, and it's this turn that will nurture Cáit the most (effort over means). These older relatives mainly speak in Irish and the language is used as a device to completely remove us from the world we – and Cáit – once knew. We let go of preconceived notions and welcome the farm life: one that is humble and loving.

Despite the sadness and hardship that surrounds the root cause of this displacement, The Quiet Girl is an exquisite film full of life and love. It never replaces the central predicaments' worries with patronizing whimsy, so we are always aware of how Cáit is likely feeling amidst all of these drastic changes to her life. However, Bairéad's usage of time (mainly the film's duration) to build the titular child's new normal is well done. We, too, are lulled into a state of comfort and recognition by the time The Quiet Girl is ready to wrap up. It feels like everything is going to be fine from here on out.

Although that sadly isn't the case. The Quiet Girl concludes on a rather tragic note, although this final act isn't one that is meant to be loud, showy, or theatrical. It's a real blow that many people have felt in life: the sudden realization and panic surrounding change for the worse. The Quiet Girl builds up to this moment that is guaranteed to leave you without speech as all of your breath is sucked out of you. Unfortunately, life acts this quickly as well, and if there's any major lesson this story of maturation wants to dictate, it's to appreciate warmth when you receive it. Not everyone is going to love you; not even those we were taught were supposed to. Recognize when you get it, and soak it in; let this love keep you going through the rest of life’s tribulations. In the meantime, acknowledge that it’s there, because it can be gone in a second.

The Quiet Girl hit my soul in a way that ambient music or rewatching an old video recording can: as if it targeted my inner solace and helped me heal a bit. It’s all because of Cáit’s surrounding setting, one that is rendered to make her feel like she is right at home; for the rest of us non-Irish viewers, we feel transported to a harmonious utopia where a tortured heart can be willed back to life. I feel like The Quiet Girl is a sapid experience that will affect you a lot more than you think it will. Using the fundamentals of languorous filmmaking, The Quiet Girl speaks volumes by doing less. It understands the importance of love in the life of an impressionable youth. We don’t see Cáit getting bitter or turning bad, but we know that she is in need of compassion. We can feel ourselves in her place in any given scenario of our own lives where we felt ignored or unloved. The Quiet Girl is more than just a quaint folk tale: it is an empathetic experience that sees us all.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.