Ladies in Lavender
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Movie Reviews of Ladies in Lavender
Movie Review: A precious gem
Summary: 5 Stars
Other reviewers have more or less summarized the plot of this film: set in the days before World War II commences, two spinster sisters have their genteel lives disrupted by a near-dead young man washed up on the shore in front of their Cornish home. As they nurse him back to health, the younger sister falls helplessly in love with him.
So many reviewers have chosen to focus on the age of the actresses, yet what is really important here is the sparse script, the light-handed direction, and the consumate skill with which the three leads and the supporting cast play their roles. It is quite heartbreaking to see Ursula going so hopelessly through the pangs of a love she should have felt in her teens or early twenties, when now she is in her sixties. The young men she would have known and loved all died in the trenches of World War One, so her naive heart is helpless in the face of her first love. As she comments towards the end of the movie, "it's not fair."
This is a beautiful miniature of a movie, akin to a Vermeer in the way it captures all the tiny details of someone else's life and touches us with the humanity of what we all share: our vulnerable hearts. We see the various characters trying to pursue as best they can their various agendas; yet in the end it is the one person who does not appear to pursue anything who ends up winning all. The young man Andreas, who months before was washed up on a foreign beach, ends up performing a masterwork in London to the acclaim of all. He is really just the mechanism through means of which the hearts of others are variously exposed.
Maggie Smith and Judi Dench turn in performances that are breathtaking in their craft and apparent simplicity. If Oscars were actually handed out for acting, they each would have scored Best Leading Actress. This movie is a masterwork of understatement, a poignant triumph.
Movie Review: Hear Joshua Bell
Summary: 5 Stars
Two elderly ladies (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith) of good standing in the community and of some means find that a storm has washed up a well dressed young man (Daniel Brühl.) They take him in to revive and mend him. During the time he is there he stirs up memories for one lady and loosens unknown passion in the other lady.
It is a short story of his recovery and how he and the community discover each other. Many overlapping themes come into play as a war has just finished and another is brewing. The young stranger says he is Polish and speaks fluent German. It is his talent that will eventually determine his fait.
This is one of those stories that requires watching and rewatching to pick up all the nuances. It will also leave a warm feeling after the wrap-up.
The person actually playing the violin behind the actor is Joshua Bell who also played the violin for Violon rouge, Le (1998). He tours once in a while so if you are lucky you may get a chance to hear him in person.
Daniel Brühl never played the Violin and had to learn to mime in less than a month.
David Warner plays the local doctor Dr. Mead. He also played a doctor in "Time After Time" (1979).
The DVD has a Featurette: Ladies in Lavender that explains the adaptation form the story to the film.
Charles Dance Writer/director found the story by William J. Locke about two spinsters living in Cornwall. They were in their forties; he changed that to the 70's as the age in the story is negligible.
He also purposely left many questions unanswered because in a fairy tale you just have to have faith.
84 Charing Cross Road
Movie Review: A LOVELY TALE SHOWING LOVE & EMOTION IS TIMELESS
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a lovely tale that shows that love and emotion is not only timeless but knows no geographic boundaries. Two sisters in the autumn of their life --(Ursula) Judi Dench and (Janet) Maggie Smith are living an ordinary life in Cornwall (Southern England near the seasore) in pre-world War II England when their world turns extraordinary as a young Polish foreigner Andrea (Daniel Bruhl -- GOOD BY LENIN!) washes ashore badly injured near their coastal home. The surprise visitor (and guest) at their home changes them dramatically -- for Janet it awakens motherly insticts, for Ursula (Dench)the presence of the gorgeous and talented young man touches a romantic part of her that has been dormant her whole life...and brings out naive responses that are so human. For the visiting artist down the road Natascha McElhone the young man's amazing musical talent touches not only her awareness of brilliance and importance of living out your potential...the local folks in Cornwall -- who are a breed of their own -- they even speak a kind of Gaelic are wary and later even suspicious of what this young man means to a pre-war England...could he be a spy? Who is that other foreigner who speaks German-- the artist...For the two sisters...the artist seems to interfere in their little triad of the two sisters and Andrea....charming, tear jerker that seems to be a modern type fairy tale (as noted on the special interview with the screenwriter and stars on the DVD supplement). It ties up very sweetly and can be a bit maudlin ....but then it's always good to suspend disbelief and believe in romance for awhile...beautiful scenery....see this on a VERY HOT AUGUST day and it will bring you a cool breeze of change....Movie Review: Nuanced and Full of Heart
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm trying to find fault with this movie, but coming up empty. Unless it's the film's "fault" that I stayed up way too late, watching it in its entirety twice. Yet I can't complain because it was worth it. The first time I laughed aloud a lot; not many reviewers here mention the humor, but it's present alright; just presented subtly by the fine acting talents of Maggie Smith and Judi Dench (and others), making it all the more delightful. "Ladies in Lavender" is sweetly moving as well, as the two spinster sisters living in Cornwall in the 1930's receive an unexpected "guest" who suddenly rocks their world. So I was compelled to watch it immediately a second time, to prolong the enjoyment. Yes, there are unlikely coincidences; yet in director Charles Dance's hands, it doesn't matter. The story plays out well regardless, with just the right emphasis in just the right moments to make it seamless. Actually, viewers will discover when they watch the DVD extras that there were coincidences involved in the making of this movie that were just as unlikely...Mind you, these extra features include none of the boring, ego-driven minutiae that one usually encounters in these formats; just brief interviews with the Grand Dames and Mr. Dance that illuminate the process and enhance one's enjoyment of it.
I thank Charles Dance for choosing to make a short story that he happened upon, called "Ladies in Lavender", as his directorial debut. Part of the real-life coincidence was that he was able to cast the perfect actors for it as well, and this actor/director collaboration is superb. I look forward eagerly to more of his (or their) efforts. BRAVO!
Movie Review: Delightful Melodrama About Two Sisters
Summary: 5 Stars
LADIES IN LAVENDER was a delightful story about two middle-age sisters who nurse a shipwrecked young Polish man back to health. Over a short period of time both sisters find themselves captivated by this young man. They learn that he is a skilled violinist. And, for different reasons each sister develops an affection for him that's based on their need to nurture. But also, and perhaps more confounding, this charming young man triggers unsettling feelings and memories of young unrequited love and longing.
I don't think the theme in this movie could have succeeded without the talent of Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. Dench's character, Ursula is especially [emotionally] complicated because she finds herself drawn to this young man with somewhat of a school girl 'crush' ... feeling all the more awkward and confusing because it is a yearning that was never fulfilled in her youth.
What was remarkable about this pleasant film is that it captivated the sentiments and rivalry of these two sisters, while at the same time it showed the close ties each had toward one another.
Best of all there was a bit of lite humor throughout the film, and I enjoyed the cinematography of the English coastline and the small town scenes.
Finally, although I found this film pleasantly entertaining, the soundtrack featuring the brilliant talent of the violinist, Joshua Bell made watching the film all the more enjoyable.
I enjoyed, LADIES IN LAVENDER immensely. I hope you will too.
Maizie Lucille James
July 11, 2010