The Quiet Girl: gentle and touching, Colm Bairéad’s drama follows a young girl who is somewhat neglected by her family and who ends up being sent to distant relatives during the summer, in rural Ireland. There she proves to benefit the older couple as much as they benefit her. The film skews away from big emotional moments, for the most part, in line with the way the protagonist and the supporting characters generally behave, and it is that much better for it. Catherine Clinch winningly plays the protagonist; she is cute as a button and emotes well. Carrie Crowley and Carrie Crowley play the couple that welcomes the girl, her more quickly and him more ponderously; the performances are subdued, but there is an undeniable sadness underneath. The charming and idyllic farm where most of the action takes place is lovingly captured by cinematographer Kate McCullough’s camera. Editor John Murphy gives the film a pleasurable pace, and the short runtime assures the film doesn’t overstay its welcome with irrelevant bloat.