The Lady in the Van (2015)

Directed by Nicholas Hytner
Written by Alan Bennett
Stars Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Jim Broadbent and Deborah Findlay

Alan Bennett, a play-write moving into a new home, finds his living situation less than desirable when he learns that his new neighborhood is also home to a hermit residing in a van. Conditions become even less desirable when she asks to move her van into his driveway, and because he is overcome with British politeness (or timidness) he reluctantly agrees.

This "mostly true" story has a lot of humanity to it. It's a showcase of how most of us would like to treat  vagabonds and hermits if they would just stop asking us for change in a world where paper and coin currency has become obsolete. And it also shows that all British people are polite to a fault… I guess.

A light-hearted story of treating others with kindness and patience, this film marks the best performance that i have seen from the great Maggie Smith. She truly transforms into this dirty and borderline insane homeless woman, yet creates such a charming character that you root for her the whole time, regardless of the troubles she undoubtedly brings the lead character. Through the filth and garbage, she glows as an older woman who is still young at heart.

Overall, the film plateaus after the exhilarating opening. It succeeds at holding ones attention throughout, but it is a relatively flat movie that finally steadily begins to rise in the final ten minutes. But ultimately, it ends at about the same level of intrigue. I guess you could say this is a good thing given the subject matter of the film. But it did leave much to be desired.

I guess what I was hoping for was more of an emotional impact. The view point of the writer (Alan Bennett, who's life the film is made after), is dry and distant. And while his humor does keep you invested just enough, I couldn't help but feel it could have been so much more.

Still a better film than most out at the moment. Not all… But most.

My Rating: 6/10