Ladies in Lavender

The film, directed by Charles Dance, is the epitome of good, low budget, British cinema. Two major actresses, Judy dench and Maggie Smith underplay their parts very well. Maggie Smith has that special gift of "scene stealing". The locations were superb and true to life as I remember that era well. The casting director gathered a supporting cast who added to the enjoyment of the film. My only complaint was that the editing for the first 30mins of the film lacked sympathy with the plot and, at times, very abrupt. The question of how the boy got into the water is never explained but it didn't matter because the script was more of a story without a beginning and without end. A great film, I loved it!

I had read mixed reviews on this and am delighted to report that I was captivated completely by the plot, the cinematography and the two delightful actors (and Dames), Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. Not to mention the music played by Joshua Bell, the young supporting actors, Daniel Bruhl and Natascha McElhone and the curmudgeonly Miriam Margolyes as Dorcas the daily.

Highly evocative of the era, around 1938-1939 when Germany is rising and the memories of WW1 are still strong. Janet, one of the sisters, played by Maggie, is a widow from that war and lives with her sister Ursula, a spinster, played by Judi.

The story is delicate and mindful of others - Whales of August, Tea with Mussolini, but it has its own strength - the unrequited love that Ursula feels for the young man that the sisters rescue from the shore.

Charles Dance does a superb job both with the writing and the directing of such a flimsy tale. One is taken right in to the era, the harvest, the clothes, the village dance, the fisherman with their catches of the day on the shore. Gorgeous landscapes and gardens. A slice of life beautifully done. 8 out of 10.

This film is about two elderly sisters' lives being turned upside down after they found an ailing young man on the beach.

"Ladies in Lavender" is a captivating film. It is very strong in both story telling and in acting. Both Judi Dench and Maggie Smith did excellent in portraying love and jealousy. It is amazing that by just one look on the face, you can tell how the characters are thinking. The story telling is subtle by the acting is so direct. "Ladies in Lavender" draws me, captivates me and touches me. I think this film deserves a wider audience. It is a pity, that many people may not give this film a chance because they think the target demographic is towards the older generation.

Who but Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith could play elderly sisters who don't particularly agree too much with each other's conventions utlizing such subtle acting talents? The script is terrific with lines thatare worthy of both great British stage and screen actors. Supporting characters present fine performances as well.

It's terrific to have such a quality drama that is true to the real lives of senior women who live in another culture outside of my own in the US. Forget all of the nonsensical bleeping of scripts loaded with cursing (even though I am no prude!). Such scripts lack the integrity of presentation of a superior English lexicon. Forget the loud, fast paced action that appeals to more violence-craving audiences than me. Forget wacky comics who'd use all sorts of gimmicks and graphics to create anything but a character close to any culture's true life.

Have a good look at the very strengths that abound in the whole of this film. The story plot line is a excellent one, I assure you. It goes like this: The ladies in lavender find a body of a young man barely still alive on the rocky, rough surf, beach in front of their old home. They take him in and nurse him to health. He turns out to be an extraordinarily gifted individual. When it is discovered that he is, the ladies have to face a harsh reality in order for him to realize his potential.

It is comparable to "Tea with Mussolini" in both quality of script, story, and especially cast. How it slipped under popularity radar when "Tea . . ." didn't, is a mystery. This is a film that needs to be viewed by any age group of people. There's nothing about it a child couldn't understand and plenty about it that senior people would relate to, as well. "Whales of August" with Bette Davis and Lillian Gish is a superior treasure.

Delicate and unpretentious, this story of an old lady's infatuation with a young violinist is like a refreshing whiff of air amidst the sultry stench of brouhaha "fat-cash" movies that contaminate the silver screen this summer. Its overall impressionistic and bland atmosphere of old rural England with seemingly plain, but emotionally tense story has a mollifying effect on our senses, long warped by clink-clank of special effects and overblown plots.

If one has to compare this film with other forms of art, "Ladies in Lavender" feels like a fine piece of vintage literature, transfered on screen and complemented with exquisite acting and gorgeous music. At the same time, it is so much "slice-of-life" story thanks to meticulous nuances in depicting the characters' lifestyle and subtle performances of the film's main stars.

Contrary to some reviews, I don't have an impression that the story is deficient or lacks in details. I find it rather complete and coherent. Moreover, I think that giving any additional background information on the characters would have only diluted the story. The director's objective is clearly to focus on the internal feelings of the two old sisters and for that enough information is provided in their own comments. After all, it's not the story of the stranger that is so important; but the story of their loneliness and attachment to this young man that is the cornerstone of the plot.

Not as shattering as some more action-driven movies, this film is a good treat for those who want to get away from the din of our modern life and enjoy some excellent music for precious one and a half hours.