With the release of Quills , the film version of Doug Wright's play about the final days of the infamous Marquis Desade, with a script by the playwright himself, we are reminded what power the medium has the potential to command. The film presents a largely fictionalized account of the last days of the Marquis Desade (Geoffrey Rush), confined to the Charenton institution for the insane. Through his interactions with a young laundress, Madeleine (Kate Winslett), an initially idealistic young priest, Abbe De Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix) and the cruel, authoritarian Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine), the author explores issues of censorship, religion and hypocrisy (Why do those three subjects complement each other so well?). The film, while lacking the visceral immediacy of the play, has an inherent realism and intimacy that compensates for any losses. The attention to detail is exquisite, from the clothing to the closeups revealing stained, unpleasant teeth. The performances are superb, particularly those of Oscar winners Caine and Rush. Joaquin Phoenix is by far the weakest link, attempting an annoying approximation of an English accent, presumably in order to sound like the rest of the cast, though since the film is set in France, the reasoning here becomes convoluted. However, Phoenix's relative weaknesses are more than compensated for. This film is not for everyone. It is uncompromisingly grim. Grimmer, even, than the historical fact of it's subject matter. Those looking for romance, in any conventional sense, and a happy ending will be disappointed on both counts. However, the film does reward by delivering uncompromising energy and unremitting intensity for those who choose to approach it seriously. 