The Lady in the Van (2015)
2015
PG-13
104 Minutes
The true story of the relationship between Alan Bennett and the singular Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who ‘temporarily’ parked her van in Bennett’s London driveway and proceede...
User Review
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WHAT I LIKED: 'The Lady in the Van' is certainly a creative cinematic adaptation of Alan Bennett's story, but it's this humble, humorous foundation that's by far the winning part of the formula here. Yes the story we find ourselves going on is one of sheer delight with plenty of brilliant characterisation and a foot in reality that grounds the whole thing rather excellently. In fact, in some ways it's as much a narrative about the very concept of writing as it is a character study, and those aspects naturally complement each other. However, credit must equally be given to the way in which all of that is brought to life, as plenty of great cinematic choices are made, and brilliantly captivating performances are ever present from Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It is a simple concept so don't expect anything truly ground-breaking.
VERDICT: A lovely, humble film that doesn't try to be too much, and thankfully succeeds in building on Alan Bennett's genious work.1 member likes this review.
