Charles Dance, the actor, has chosen the short story by William J Locke, as the basis for his film. "Ladies in Lavender" seems to have been tailor made for its two stars.
This is the story of a young man that is found by two lonely sisters living above the beach. These ladies, of a certain age, take the young man into their home and tend to his wounds. Janet, a widow, and Ursula, her spinster sister, live comfortably in a cinematically beautiful, if somehow faded, elegant house.
The young visitor becomes the object of Ursula's attention. This kind soul hasn't had any man in her life, or so it seems. Andrea, who they discover is Polish, awakens a tender love in Ursula. Janet senses there is trouble if this situation is left unchecked, but she goes along catering to Andrea's needs.
Both ladies discover that Andrea is a violinist, by profession. They contact the local fiddler so he can lend Andrea his instrument. The young man amazes everyone by playing wonderful tunes that attract the attention of a young German painter visiting the area and overhears the music coming from the cottage. Janet and Ursula don't want anything to do with this young woman intruding in their house, but as fate would have it, she ends up taking the young man away to fame and fortune.
The story is neatly arranged for the screen. There's is no logic in how the young man arrives and why don't these two conservative women notify the local authorities. For all practical purposes, Andrea might be a dangerous person. A lot of questions about the absurdity of the situation are never answered by the screen play, let alone how Andrea, in a matter of days, by the magic of the movies, becomes a soloist with the BBC Symphony orchestra, something that perhaps better and more talented musicians never get to do in their lives!
"Ladies in Lavender" is the perfect way to spend almost two hours in the company of Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, two of the most beloved grand dames of the English cinema. Daniel Bruhl is a charismatic actor, as he already showed in "Goodbye Lenin", and he is as good here. Natasha McElhone, a beautiful actress plays Olga. Miriam Margoyles plays the maid and David Warner is seen as the local doctor.
This film will reward all fans of Maggie Smith and Judi Dench.
This is the story of a young man that is found by two lonely sisters living above the beach. These ladies, of a certain age, take the young man into their home and tend to his wounds. Janet, a widow, and Ursula, her spinster sister, live comfortably in a cinematically beautiful, if somehow faded, elegant house.
The young visitor becomes the object of Ursula's attention. This kind soul hasn't had any man in her life, or so it seems. Andrea, who they discover is Polish, awakens a tender love in Ursula. Janet senses there is trouble if this situation is left unchecked, but she goes along catering to Andrea's needs.
Both ladies discover that Andrea is a violinist, by profession. They contact the local fiddler so he can lend Andrea his instrument. The young man amazes everyone by playing wonderful tunes that attract the attention of a young German painter visiting the area and overhears the music coming from the cottage. Janet and Ursula don't want anything to do with this young woman intruding in their house, but as fate would have it, she ends up taking the young man away to fame and fortune.
The story is neatly arranged for the screen. There's is no logic in how the young man arrives and why don't these two conservative women notify the local authorities. For all practical purposes, Andrea might be a dangerous person. A lot of questions about the absurdity of the situation are never answered by the screen play, let alone how Andrea, in a matter of days, by the magic of the movies, becomes a soloist with the BBC Symphony orchestra, something that perhaps better and more talented musicians never get to do in their lives!
"Ladies in Lavender" is the perfect way to spend almost two hours in the company of Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, two of the most beloved grand dames of the English cinema. Daniel Bruhl is a charismatic actor, as he already showed in "Goodbye Lenin", and he is as good here. Natasha McElhone, a beautiful actress plays Olga. Miriam Margoyles plays the maid and David Warner is seen as the local doctor.
This film will reward all fans of Maggie Smith and Judi Dench.