| LADIES IN LAVENDER |
 2004 – UKDirector: Charles Dance
- Reviewed by Vickie
Written and directed by actor Charles Dance, the film centers on two elderly sisters, Janet (Maggie Smith) and Ursula (Judi Dench), who live alone in a cozy cottage on the coast of Cornwall in the 1930s. They are a widow and a spinster, respectively, and they seem quite happily living out their days by the sea with only each other—and their cantankerous housekeeper, Dorcas (the wonderful Miriam Margolyes)—for company. But one day, after a storm, Ursula catches sight of something unusual washed up on their shore: an unconscious and injured young man who turns out to be Polish violinist Andrea Marowski (Daniel Brühl, Good-Bye, Lenin!). Andrea doesn’t speak English and the sisters don’t speak Polish, but the three are soon developing a warm friendship as Andrea recuperates in the sisters’ home. But the sad and lonely Ursula soon begins to feel more than just motherly concern for Andrea and it’s obvious to just about everyone that she’s falling for the young stranger. Things become more complicated when Andrea’s violin-playing attracts the attention of passing painter Olga (Natascha McElhone), who’s overcome by his talent and drawn to him. Needless to say, the sisters aren’t thrilled with her presence, and Olga’s time with Andrea soon raises the suspicion of locals who believe she and Andrea are, in fact, spies. Not a whole lot happens in Ladies in Lavender, but that’s okay. This isn’t the kind of film that needs a great deal of showboating—it’s a little film that tells a small, quaint story. The pacing is appropriately leisurely and everything (from the dialogue to the cinematography) seems softened or muted. It’s a film about quiet heartache, quiet attraction and quiet acceptance of life, good and bad. Judi Dench has the bigger of the two sister roles and she creates a heartbreaking character you want to reach through the screen to hug and console. Ursula is incredibly sad, and watching her pining for Andrea elicited more than a few sniffles from me. And while Maggie Smith’s Janet is clearly the more sensible sister, she, too, struggles to redirect Ursula’s longing. Their dynamic is wonderful, and it’s obvious from the ease of their performances and interaction that the two women have known each other for decades. There is nary a false note between them. Again, there isn’t anything particularly extraordinary about Ladies in Lavender, but it makes for a sweetly satisfying repose from the moviegoing brouhahah typical of this time of year. |
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In a sea of event films about space aliens and assassins and sexual
escapades and violent action heroes, this quiet, unassuming little gem
of a film floats along on its own merry path like a cinematic sorbet,
waiting to refresh you between big-budget Hollywood fare.
