My Old Lady

25 November 2014 Fiona's Second Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester Tonight - My Old Lady. I thought this was going to be a comedy, but in reality the best mildly funny scenes were all included in the trailer. Having said that, this was a very touching film about relationships and dysfunctional families and a very strange set of French Laws. In a nutshell, Mathias Gold, played by Kevin Kline, inherits an apartment in France from his late father. Spending his last dime to travel to Paris he discovers to his dismay that the apartment comes with a tenant Mathilde Girard (Maggie Smith) who is allowed to stay there until her death, and to compound things he has to pay rent to her. Determined to find a way to sell the apartment and make some money Mathias tries everything he can to achieve his goal. As the story progresses we meet Chloe who is Mathilde's daughter and has issues of her own. Although slow in places this charming film winds it's way through the streets of Paris much as the seine flows past Notre Dame and once again having watched a film set in France I find myself wanting to go and visit once again.

Went to see this today based on the trailer, from which I thought it was a comedy. It is funny, but also serious and engaging. Liked it much more than I thought I would and would definitely recommend it. At the end I realized that I would want to watch it again to see the themes of relationship as I then understood them with hindsight. The three principal actors are all excellent in their roles and in their relationships with each other. It felt honest and not pretentious or 'preachy', but definitely deep and engaging.

No one ends up the hero in this film, but that is often how real life often turns out.

My husband and I love Paris, Kevin Kline and Maggie Smith; so a film with all three was a must on our viewing list. However, we came across some pretty bad reviews and wondered whether we should see it at all. The cinema was a small one and, as we decided to go to the early afternoon show, it wasn't very crowded. We were delighted to find the three leading actors lived up to their usual high standard; the story line worked for us right to the end; and the views of Paris as well as the interior of the apartment managed to capture the mood very well. From finding it really quite amusing at first, the film took a rather darker turn two thirds of the way in; but we felt that the way it was handled sent out a very real and necessary message. I presume it could be classed as a black comedy...but this should not put you off from seeing it, and one does not leave feeling it was a waste of time or money!

I didn't like it much. If they had told me that it's a theatrical piece then I would have been prepared, but thinking that it's a movie... no, definitely it's not the movie I like.

I'm wondering why as the acting is very good and this movie is almost flawless, but... too simple? The Kevin Kline's character, is it not likeable? Too short? Too long? Too much complaining and whining? I don't know, it's hard to say, but in the end I was thinking... which movie I just watched? A comedy, a drama, a "dramedy" perhaps?

Not even in this case I can say something... I just watched a movie that didn't satisfy me, that's it.

The whole film is shot in Paris and many of the scenes are simply drippingly gorgeous. It is a very charming movie, with some heavy undertones and one I will watch again. There's a good message in it. Loved Dominique Pinon as the real estate agent. Kristin Scott Thomas is so good, mixing up mean and nasty with tenderness and self-awareness. Maggie is a stitch and just superb! Kevin excellently portrays a man who is down and out, carrying around emotional baggage. Stéphane Freiss always seems to play a neurotic Frenchman, but he does frenzied well. Many times I laughed out loud in this movie! I've studied French my whole life, but learned a new word in this movie: viager. I am surprised critics have come down so hard on it. But, I am almost as old as Kevin Kline, I adore Paris, I love movies where you can laugh and still be brought to tears and ones that have a good message.