Encore; Quartet; Trio

W (illiam) Somerset Maugham charmingly introduces these adaptations of his own short stories in this trio of wonderful films. Maugham, best known for his classic novel Of Human Bondage, once summed up his own literary stature by saying that he "stood in the very first row of second-raters." What Maugham lacked in literary genius, he more than made up for in acute perceptions of the various levels of society. In Quartet, a four story anthology, a young man is given advice by his father about gambling, lending money, and women--and learns his lesson (or does he?) in "The Facts of Life." In "The Alien Corn", the artistically inclined son (Dirk Bogarde) of an aristocratic businessman wants to become a pianist, and agrees to have his work judged by a true artist--with tragic results. While "The Colonel's Lady", a delightful tale of domestic misunderstanding, explores what happens when a quiet wife suddenly leaps to overnight fame as the author of a book of "sexy" poetry. In Trio, three stories, the concept of literacy is thrown head over heels when a church verger is asked to resign because of his illiteracy--and goes to become an extremely successful businessman in "The Verger." And, in "Mr. Know-all", a garrulous know-it-all is suddenly confronted with the decision of admitting he's wrong (although he's right) in order to not reveal a fellow traveler's wife's indiscretions. In the last film, Encore, another triplet, "The Ant and the Grasshopper" tells the marvelously funny story about a total cad who continually milks his respectable, successful brother--only to have the tables turned. And in "Gigolo and Gigolette", a couple who perform a death-defying cocktail act find out that the fear of not being loved may be more important than the fear of death. Throughout, a stellar cast of British actors and actresses admirably portray these quirky insights into the human condition. Although three decades old, these stories are timeless, and today's patrons are sure to be surprisingly entertained. Highly recommended.