The Lady In The Van review: Dame Maggie Smith is excellent in this oustanding British drama, adapted from Alan Bennett’s play.
Lady In The Van review
Dame Maggie Smith leads the cast in The Lady In The Van, a film adaptation of Alan Bennett‘s play of the same name. Smith reprises the role that she has previously assumed in the original stage production in 1999, as well as a radio version performed in 2009.
This true story revolves around the character of Miss Shepherd, a former nun who has chosen to live in the borough of Camden, north London, in the back of an old van. When moving on from number 66, Gloucester Crescent, Shepherd moves along the road to inhabit playwright Alan Bennett’s driveway, where she remains for the following 15 years, until her death.
Lady In The Van review
Bennett once again teams with his collaborator on The History Boys and The Madness Of King George, director Nicholas Hytner, for this brilliant story of loneliness, unexpected-friendship and a running theme of community spirit. The Lady In The Van is a wonderfully constructed comedy/ drama full of wit from Bennett’s adaptation of his own work. Constantly breaking down the fourth wall with brilliant inventiveness, with a fantastic double turn by Alex Jennings as Bennett, the film is enthralling, full of laughter, heart-rendering emotion and an exceptional central performance by Smith.
The Lady In The Van also features a magnificent supporting cast, including Jim Broadbent and Frances de la Tour. Also, ook out for extended cameos from History Boys cast members Dominic Cooper and James Corden, who turn up as an actor and market trader restectively.
Hytner goes the authentic route with the film, and uses Bennett’s actual house, both internally and externally for this version, as well as neighbouring properties and the local area surrounding the actual Gloucester Crescent in Camden. Bennett’s script is intelligent, both in terms of its dialogue, and its plot devices, and stays true to its source material. The playwright and screenwriter manages to deliver a very funny story, allowing for slight adjustments for the wider canvas, with Hytner perfectly painting upon it with his fantastic direction.
Lady In The Van review
Smith owns the part of Shepherd, and is a shoe-in for a nomination for this magnificent turn; the already-award-winning actress at her absolute best. Shepherd is cantankerous, wonderfully selfish and downright hilarious with every word she mutters, and as well as providing the laughs, Smith brings an underlying warm-ness from her character to the fold, which, considering she’s absolutely horribly unkind to absolutely everyone, including Bennett, is quite an achievement.
The Lady In The Van is the funniest, most well written, produced and directed films of the year; a film that completes an exceptional, unofficial trilogy of work between the stunning team of Hytner and Bennett – one that will have you stuck in your seats as the credits roll, hoping that your tears dry before the lights come up…
The Lady In The Van review by Paul Heath, October, 2015.
The Lady In The Van premieres at the BFI London Film Festival, before being released in UK cinemas on November 13th, 2015, and the US on January 15th, 2016.
