Review

Review Date: 26-June-05
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Ladies in Lavender (2005)

Take a look at the poster and the bluehairs queuing up for "Ladies in Lavender" and you know that it's aimed at the over-60 crowd which (a) thirsts for characters their own age, (b) adores Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, (c) pretentiously associates with all things British, or (d) all of the above. While there's nothing essentially wrong with films of this type, they tend to be unoriginal since they're written with a specific demographic in mind and a leather-bound tradition to live up to. The faults of "Ladies in Lavender" do, in fact, stem from an apparent desire to stick to a narrow path that hints of danger, passion, and scandal but ultimately leads to the safety of British decorum. Fortunately, however, it has one unique pleasure up its sleeve.

Adapted and directed by erstwhile actor Charles Dance, the story follows elderly sisters Janet and Ursula Widdington (Smith and Dench, respectively), who discover a young man washed up on the beach and nurse him back to health over the course of about a year. Although the excellent cast goes a long way, the film is weakened by a rambling script that includes not only the obligatory quaintness (e.g., Miriam Margolyes as the ladies' housemaid), but also the occasional swerve into absurdity (e.g., a Russian siren played by Natascha McElhone and everything she entails). In addition, Dance has an aggravating tendency to introduce themes that contrast nicely with the sisters' seclusion and then drop them (the young man's origins, European tension between World Wars) — suggestions of another, more interesting movie that he didn't quite dare to make.

Yet the real draw of "Ladies in Lavender" is not genteel or artistic but emotional. The finest moments involve Ursula's attachment to the handsome guest (Daniel Brühl, perfectly cast), which starts immediately and shocks both her sister and her peace of mind. Younger viewers may not realize it, but spinsterhood is a very real social and psychological condition, not tied to any particular era, that carries hardships beyond mere loneliness. Is it crazy or sick for a 70-year-old woman to fall in love with a 20-year-old man? It certainly doesn't appear so here, as sweet, naive Ursula experiences what most other heterosexual females get beyond (or over) earlier in life: the wonder at an artless smile, the intoxication of deep brown eyes, the absolute adoration of soft hair, a quick laugh, an open mind, and the all-round irresistible perfection of boyishness on the edge of manhood — a boyishness that needs you, that trusts you, that has not yet learned cruelty or deceit. That Ursula's feelings are hopeless (which of course she knows) only makes them more cherished and poignant. Her affection, like the movie, doesn't really go anywhere, but because of it "Ladies in Lavender" moves beyond the ordinary confines of the Earl Grey-matter crowd.

Copyright © 2005 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.