The Quiet

This is a terrible film. Elisha Cuthbert stars as Nina, a young woman being sexually abused by her father (Martin Donovan). Dot (Camilla Belle), a young deaf girl whose father has died, moves into her house, and Nina reveals her plans to off her slimy pop. She also discovers Camilla’s not-all-that-shocking secret. This is one of those crass movies dealing with a horrifying subject that takes screen time to leer at Elisha Cuthbert half naked. Belle, who seems to have talent, is given a thankless, insipid role. Cuthbert acts well enough, but her part, like Belle’s, is thankless and insipid. And finally, there’s Edie Falco as the mom who doesn’t do anything about the horrors happening under her roof. She’s basically required to look dazed and roll around on the floor naked. It’s a film that leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and director Jamie Babbit takes much of the blame. The highly stylized tone she’s given her movie is jarring and wrong. Bad, bad film.