 Movie
Reviews
with Evelyn Gough
Ladies in Lavender (PG)
Directed by Charles Dance
 Judi
and Maggie take time to smell the (lavender) flowers.
Sex, fast cars, buxom babes in bikinis, an explosion every couple of minutes...
not your idea of a good time at the movies? How about a gentle period piece starring
two of Britain's finest actresses? Actually, make that two of the world's finest
actresses!
Judi Dench and Maggie Smith play sisters Ursula and Janet Widdington. The year
is 1936, a political storm is brewing over Europe and a storm off the Cornish
coast washes a young man onto the beach below the sisters' home. He is suffering
from a broken ankle so they take it upon themselves, with a little help from their
housekeeper Dorcas (Miriam Margolyes), to care for him and nurse him back to health.
The mystery deepens when they discover Andrea (Daniel Bruhl) does not speak any
English and Ursula (Dench), who has become quite smitten, takes it upon herself
to teach him.
What they don't need to teach him is how to play the violin, his remarkable
talent recognised by a neighbouring artist, Olga Danilof (Natascha McElhone),
whose brother is a renowned violinist. Suddenly the sisters' happy little family
is under threat...
Years ago my father took his elderly mother to see the Woody Allen comedy Everything
you wanted to know about sex but were to afraid to ask. Now why you would take
your not-so-sprightly mum to see a film which has the word "sex" in
the title is beyond me and besides, she'd had seven kids and no doubt knew more
than she wanted to about sex, but anyway, she still found plenty to disapprove
of, believe me.
And what's the point of this little aside, you ask. Well, if you are looking
for the perfect film to take your granny to, then you're in luck. There is nothing
in Ladies in Lavender that could possibly offend anybody. Of course it won't be
to everyone's taste. These period pieces have a fairly select audience but it's
nice to have that audience catered to occasionally and one thing's for sure -
they will truly appreciate the quality acting, subtle storyline and beautiful
cinematography of this movie.
Rating: 
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