AllMovie

Marcel Proust, the toast of die-hard conoisseurs of difficult (but brilliant) literature everywhere, is famous for his unbelievably detailed memoirs, A la recherche des temps perdus. He was a sickly, reclusive man who lived very much under the thumb of his beloved but overbearing mother. It is reasonably clear that he was a (largely inactive) homosexual. In this film, set late in his life, Proust (Alan Bates) has emerged from his sickbed to hire a string quartet to play Frank's Quartet in D at his home for him. Afterwards, he invites the handsome viola player of the group (Paul Rhys) to return alone and visit him. Despite the apparently thin storyline, the clever script by Alan Bennett and Alan Bates' irresistibly witty mugging sustained the interest of many reviewers.