Ladies in Lavender
Set in picturesque coastal Cornwall, in a tight-knit fishing village in the 1930’s, Ladies in Lavender boasts the cream of British acting talent as Oscar and BAFTA award-winners Dame Judi Dench (Iris, Chocolat, recent James Bond films) and Dame Maggie Smith (Gosford Park, Tea with Mussolini, the Harry Potter films) play the leading roles of sisters Ursula (Dench) and Janet Widdington (Smith).
Rising German talent and award-winning Daniel Bruhl (Goodbye Lenin!) plays Andrea. A gifted young Jewish violinist from Krakow, Andrea is bound for America when he is swept overboard by a fierce storm. When the Widdington sisters discover the handsome and mysterious stranger on the beach below their house, they nurse him back to health. However, the presence of the musically talented young man disrupts the peaceful lives of Ursula and Janet and the community in which they live.
Member Reviews
Exquisite - Tender-hearted - sustor
An exquisite and tender-hearted movie, gently moving through the lives of the inhabitants of a village in Cornwall in the late 1930's. Excellent acting by veterans Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, as well as the other cast members. The expressive details of life played out in the story make you feel as if you were there. Magnificent violin music played by Joshua Bell.Must see! - mfri
At last: an intelligent film about tenderness, longing, and what is most beautiful about merely human vulnerability. Judi Dench can say more with a lifted eyebrow, a widening of the eyes, a tilt of the head, a slope of the shoulder, than any merely pretty starlet in Hollywood can do with a half-naked body. The word is subtlety. Anyone interested in acting should STUDY this film. Forget about plot; the story hardly matters and functions only as a vehicle to explore the possibility that lives can be altered, cracked open, shifted off balance and transformed by what washes up on the beach one morning. Look for the moment when the Polish boy leans his head on Dench's knee and she almost, almost, and then yes, no, is it possible? touches, ever so lightly, his hair. That moment is the essence of the film, though gorgeous scenery, light-hearted and wistful costuming, and a spectacular score are not wasted. Maggie Smith is at her best, not merely tight-lipped and crusty but compassionate and, though less than Dench, also breakable. The film is almost unbearably tender. It's the best thing since The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, but in this case life goes on, and without a fake-happy ending.Simply beautiful! - Muggins
Dame Judi and Dame Maggie in the same film - what an absolute treat! They play these two aging sisters with such familiarity, with absolute grace, wisdom and the beauty only age can bring. The brilliant Judi Dench conveys the longing and regret of never having loved amazingly well in an almost child-like way and the ever amazing Maggie Smith, as the more "worldly" older sister, is there for her offering sympathy, support and understanding - thank heaven for sisters!
Daniel Bruhl is perfectly cast as Andrea, the gifted young Polish violinist who was trying to make his way to America before being lost at sea and cast up on the English shore. I'll have to investigate his other films now!
The intensely beautiful Cornish scenery is as much a part of the movie as the actors are - stunningly terrific cinematography!
Thank God for the art of British film making!!!!!
Member Reviews
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Exquisite - Tender-hearted - sustor
An exquisite and tender-hearted movie, gently moving through the lives of the inhabitants of a village in Cornwall in the late 1930's. Excellent acting by veterans Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, as well as the other cast members. The expressive details of life ...Must see! - mfri
At last: an intelligent film about tenderness, longing, and what is most beautiful about merely human vulnerability. Judi Dench can say more with a lifted eyebrow, a widening of the eyes, a tilt of the head, a slope of the shoulder, than any merely pretty ...Simply beautiful! - Muggins
Dame Judi and Dame Maggie in the same film - what an absolute treat! They play these two aging sisters with such familiarity, with absolute grace, wisdom and the beauty only age can bring. The brilliant Judi Dench conveys the longing and regret of never ...