Ladies in Lavender

Devotees of Masterpiece Theatre's specialty—British period pieces marked by classily sudsy stories, lush locations, splendid cinematography, and fine acting—will embrace this tale of a pair of spinster sisters who take in a young Pole who washed ashore near their seaside home and patiently nurse him back to health. Though the story takes place in the late 1930s and features occasional references to threats of war, the emphasis here is clearly on repressed passion, exemplified in the possessive (or proprietary) attitude of the more flighty of the sisters (Judi Dench) towards their incapacitated guest. Her feelings are so unexpected and incomprehensible, even to her, that they cause rifts in her relationship with her more practical sister (Maggie Smith). Observing them both with a shrewd but affectionate eye is their housekeeper, played with a jovially frumpish air by Miriam Margolyes. From a narrative standpoint, actor-turned-director Charles Dance's Ladies in Lavender isn't entirely satisfying: a musical subplot revolving around the fact that the boy proves to be a violin prodigy seems forced, and the script takes a further detour to provide a “happy” ending that's neither effective nor even sentimentally satisfying. Nevertheless, the strength of the lead performances and the beauty of the setting are enough to overcome vagaries in the storytelling, and while this may not be a great film, the joy of watching Dench and Smith perform their charming duet makes it a worthwhile watch.  Recommended. (F. Swietek)