A man forms an unexpected bond with a transient woman living in her car that's parked in his driveway.
Unshowy to a fault, Hytner delivers a fine, moving comedy of English manners between a writer and his eccentric tenant, which slowly deepens into an exploration of human bonds.
Bequeaths a respect for oddball muses and their secret stories.
Smith is excellent as the homeless woman who parked her camper van in Alan Bennett’s garden for 15 years, in this enjoyable film about their poignant relationship from Nicholas Hytner.
A brilliant portrayal of a truly odd couple.
Gliding between hilarity and heartache, The Lady In The Van ultimately becomes a beautifully acted, touching ode to the unlikeliest of friendships.
Sadly, everything else in Nicholas Hytner’s film is so scrupulously tasteful that even when the humour turns scatological – the small matter of where Miss Shephard defecates is raised multiple times – everything comes up smelling of roses.
Maggie Smith is magnificent as a homeless woman who shares Alan Bennett’s drive in this moving adaptation of the West End play.
Smoothly directed by Nicholas Hytner, the picture works best as a character study, observational comedy (there are good jokes at the expense of liberal guilt and property obsession) and, best of all, as a glorious celebration of one of our finest actresses.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
RSS feed of Cinema reviews