Review: The Lady In The Van (UK Cert 12A)

Truth can often be stranger than fiction. In the 1970s, writer Alan Bennett lived in Camden where he encountered a homeless woman who called herself Miss Shepherd who lived in a clapped-out old van, travelling around the suburb. Bennett offered Miss Shepherd the temporary use of his driveway; she ended up staying there for fifteen years. Bennett wrote a memoir which was later adapted into a play and now a film.

The Lady In The Van is a witty, moving and occasionally poignant comedy-drama ably performed by the cream of British acting talent, led from the front by a truly superb performance by Maggie Smith.

Miss Shepherd is a cantankerous old biddy, haughty, belligerent - and an absolute gift for any actress. Smith originated the role on stage (and reprised that role for a 2009 radio adaptation) so she would be the natural choice to portray her on film. Of course, there's much more to her than just be a cranky old bat and Smith mines the pathos of the character without ever coming across as pathetic. There are moments when you truly feel for her as the story of her life comes out, and she also gets some of the film's most funny lines- her waspish tongue cutting across the genteel hypocrisy of her Camden neighbours (who all agree something must be done to help Miss Shepherd but heavens forfend that they're the ones to actually do it). This ranks as one of Smith's finest performances which, in a career as good and as wide as hers, is saying something. 

Matching Smith's superlative performance is Alex Jennings whose performance as Alan Bennett transcends mere impersonation (although he has nailed Bennett's soft Northern tones). There's an unusual and interesting conceit to the film in which Jennings plays two versions of Bennett- the one who lives and the one who writes- and has them talking to each other and bickering like an old married couple. It's initially disconcerting but I think it works. He acts as the grounded foil to the eccentric Miss Shepherd and their strained odd-couple relationship develops over the course of the film.

The rest of the supporting cast is a veritable Who's Who of British stage and screen acting- Jim Broadbent, Roger Allam, Frances de la Tour, Deborah Findlay and Gwen Taylor all make appearances and there are small roles for the vast majority of the film cast of The History Boys (which was also directed by Nicholas Hytner). 

Bennett's script (adapted from his memoir) does have the ring of the stage about it but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The film starts with the caption that this is 'mostly true' and there are things that have been embellished or concocted for dramatic purpose- at a couple of points, the writer Bennett does point out that he didn't actually say that (usually at moments of frustration). There's also not a marked difference showing the passage of time - it's just mentioned- almost always in a throwaway manner- in the script

This is the kind of project that BBC Films do so well. The film is well made, the script strong, the cast fantastic. A pure joy.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Review: Mr. Holmes (UK Cert PG)

Sir Ian McKellen reunites with his Gods And Monsters director Bill Condon for Mr. Holmes, an adaptation of Mitch Cullin's novel A Slight Trick Of The Mind which features an elderly version of the great detective.

It's 1947 and the 93 year old Sherlock Holmes (McKellen) lives in retirement in Sussex with his housekeeper Mrs Munro (Laura Linney) and her son Roger (Milo Parker). Holmes is happy with his bees, preferring to stay out of the limelight after John Watson's stories of Holmes' cases have become famous. However, after more than thirty years, he is haunted by his final case; the case which ended his career. There was always something troubling about it, something that never rang true in Watson's version of events. Holmes resolves to figure out what. Not easy when the world's greatest detective is suffering from dementia and his once sharp intellect is waning. 

McKellen plays Holmes as both the younger detective and the older, more decrepit retiree and is superb at both. The older Holmes' dementia provides some poignant moments as he tries to put the pieces back together and there is a marked physical change between the two versions of Holmes. McKellen is the kind of actor that could read the phone book and make it sound like Shakespeare and he acquits himself brilliantly in the role. 

It's a shame the same can't be said of some of the supporting cast (but that's more to do with the material than the actors). Laura Linney is a much better actress than the material she's given here and she's practically wasted in the role which has her little more than a disapproving harridan. Some facile attempts to give the character character fall flat and feel shoe-horned. Milo Parker is better in the role of Roger, luckily eschewing any precocious brat instincts and acting as a good foil for Holmes. However, both Linney and Parker suffer from wandering accent syndrome, sounding at times West Country then Irish then occasionally Scottish which is a little off-putting, to say the least.

Hattie Morahan plays Ann Kelmot, the subject of Holmes' last case, with a beautiful fragility and it's actually quite a wrenching moment when all the pieces come together and you realise the truth of the last case. There's a supporting cast of top-notch British acting talent- including Roger Allam, Frances de la Tour, Phil Davis, John Sessions and Frances Barber- which rounds out things nicely.

It's a well shot and well designed films, the costumes and make-up are superb and it evokes the spirit of the times in which it is set. However (and it's a big however) the script is what lets the film down. It's poorly structured and one of the main storylines- Holmes' sojourn to Japan to find a plant that is reputed to help with senile dementia- is rather weak. If it had focused on the final case alone, the film would have been stronger. 

Ultimately, this is a pleasant, slow drama which would be perfect for a Sunday evening. Whilst the plot is inconsistent, it's worth seeing for the bravura performance by McKellen. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

Tez