Ladies in Lavender **** (2002, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Daniel Brühl, Natascha McElhone, Miriam Margolyes, David Warner, Toby Jones, Geoffrey Bayldon, Freddie Jones) – Classic Movie Review 2978

Judi Dench and Maggie Smith light up the screen as Thirties Cornish sisters, Ursula and Janet, who take in a foreign lad (Spanish-German star Daniel Brühl) they find washed up on the nearby beach. As they look after him and nurse him back to health, Dench teaches him to speak English and Smith fusses lovingly over him. Is upset just around the corner when they both fall for the charms of this Polish violinist?

With a well-judged script based on the story by William J Locke and subtle and appealing performances by the three stars and Natascha McElhone as the alluring Olga Daniloff, this 2002 drama is a super debut as writer-director for actor Charles Dance, with the appealing Maggie and Judi proving yet again there’s nothing like a Dame. Over-egging the pudding, Miriam Margolyes and David Warner overact entertainingly as the housekeeper and doctor.

Also in the cast are Toby Jones, Geoffrey Bayldon, Freddie Jones, Ian Marshall, Scott Hinds, Clive Russell, Richard Pears, Tom Hill, Gregor Henderson-Begg and Jack Callow.

Geoffrey Bayldon (7 January 1924 – 10 May 2017) appeared as Mr Penhaligan in Ladies in Lavender after many years of successful TV work, including Catweazle (1970–71) and as the Crowman in Worzel Gummidge (1979–81).

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