It seems that Charles Dance, who currently stars as the cruelly ambitious Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones, has a bit of a sentimental streak. How else do you explain Ladies in Lavender? Sure, it doesn't have the most promising title, but it's actually a surprisingly interesting film. It's the story of two elderly sister who live in a remote manor in Cornwall during the 1930s, when a mysterious foreigner washes up on shore, adapted from a short story by William J. Locke. They take the mysterious young man into their home while he recuperates, and over time, they become increasingly attached to him in their own ways. To be fair, when you've got Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and the underrated German actor Daniel Brühl, you don't have a ton to worry about as a director. But still, Charles Dance works with his talented actors to coax out on pervasive feeling of melancholy and longing that elevates Ladies in Lavender above what some people might derisively refer to as a chick flick.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
