Ladies in Lavender. (2004)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Charles Dance

Writers:

William J. Locke (short story)
Charles Dance (written by)

Release Date:

12 November 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

The story of two sisters who saved a stranger, and the stranger who stole their hearts.

Plot:

Two sisters befriend a mysterious foreigner who washes up on the beach of their 1930's Cornish seaside village.

Plot Keywords:

Beach | 1930s | Violinist | Village | Storm

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Judi Dench	...	Ursula
Maggie Smith	...	Janet
Daniel Brühl	...	Andrea
Freddie Jones	...	Jan Pendered
Gregor Henderson-Begg	...	Luke Pendered
Miriam Margolyes	...	Dorcas
David Warner	...	Dr. Francis Mead
Clive Russell	...	Adam Penruddocke
Richard Pears	...	Barry
Natascha McElhone	...	Olga Daniloff
Iain Marshall	...	Fisherman (as Ian Marshall)
Toby Jones	...	Hedley
Trevor Ray	...	Very Old Man 1
John Boswall	...	Very Old Man 2
Joanna Dickens	...	Mrs. Pendered

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

104 min | Australia:99 min | Australia:103 min (theatrical version) | Argentina:103 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German | Polish | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:o.Al. | Mexico:B | France:U | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Sweden:Btl | Finland:K-7 | South Korea:All | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Ireland:PG | Spain:T | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Cadgwith, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

UK Film Council

Trivia:

Charles Dance mentioned in his Production Diary that whilst they were casting, he got a phone call from Freddie Jones (who played Jan Pendered), who, having received the script, said "P**s-poor part, but I'll do it because I'm in love with Judi Dench."

Goofs:

Factual errors: Andrea is not a Polish name - the Polish equivalent of Andrea is Andrzej for men and Andrzeja for women, but this is very rarely used for women.

Quotes:

[Mr. Penruddocke arrives to play his violin for Andrea]
Dorcas: Wipe your feet.
[he does]
Dorcas: All right.
[she motions him inside]
Dorcas: Just a minute, lift them up.
[he lifts one and shows her the bottom of his shoe]
Dorcas: And the other one.
[he lifts the other]
Dorcas: All right.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Best Man (2005)

Soundtrack:

Carnival of Venice

Charming little story

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.