Kvartetten som sprängdes: Music and Bad Money

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for black-and-white dramas where people sit in rooms and make questionable life choices, you’ll probably find something to like here. If you need explosions or high-octane pacing, steer clear. This isn't a thriller; it’s a character study about greed that feels like it was filmed in a library.

The whole premise is just… strange. A group of classical musicians playing the market? It’s not exactly the most thrilling setup, but the way they handle their mounting anxiety is actually pretty fun to watch. It reminds me a bit of the quiet desperation found in Mary Lawson's Secret, though with a lot more violin cases and fewer secrets.

Notes from the couch

The pacing is, well, stately. There are moments where the dialogue feels like it’s being read from a manual on how to lose a fortune, and yet, I couldn't look away. The camera work is mostly just there, just watching these people sweat in their fancy coats.

• The lighting in the rehearsal scenes is genuinely moody.
• I’m pretty sure one of the extras in the background is just reading a newspaper for ten minutes straight.
• The musical segments are actually quite nice, which makes the inevitable financial ruin feel even more depressing.

There’s a specific scene about midway through where the group sits around a table, and the tension is just palpable. You can almost hear the gears grinding in their heads as they realize they’ve bet everything on the wrong horse. Or stock. Whatever it was, it wasn't a great idea. 🎻

It doesn't have the grand scale of Balaclava, but it doesn't need to. It’s just a tight little story about people being incredibly dumb with their money. Sometimes that’s enough. I found myself wanting to reach into the screen and just tell them to keep playing the damn cello and forget the stocks.

The ending isn't going to win any awards for originality, but it fits. It leaves you feeling like you just watched a very long, very polite argument in a cafe. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s a decent way to spend a rainy afternoon if you don't mind a bit of dust on the celluloid.