Cosy but unadventurous portrayal of rustic Cornwall just before WWII. Maggie Smith and Judi Dench play two delightful elderly buddies who discover a foreigner washed up on the beach. As they nurse him back to health their youthful jealousies and fantasies are stirred, but the stranger holds a secret in him that can unite the village and bring out the best in all of them. Daniel Bruehl and Natascha McElhone (as the stunning artist who reaches out to him) play their roles well and also provide delightful eye-candy in what is a beautifully observed, if rather leisurely, piece of cinema. The denouement makes the long wait more worth while, but this is a Sunday afternoon movie rather than an exciting night out.
Review of Ladies in Lavender
