| | | They Saved A Stranger From The Sea. In Return He Stole Their Hearts.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), English, Subtitled
Starring Academy Award winners Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, Ladies in Lavender is a heartwarming film about two sisters who find their lives changed by a young man, Andrea, (Daniel Bruhl, The Edukators, Good Bye Lenin!) who has been washed ashore and badly injured. Upon taking him in, his presence quietly invokes Ursula's (Dench) abandoned feelings of longing and Janet's (Smith) maternal instincts, while also arousing suspicion and fear in the township during pre-war times in Europe. But throughout Andrea's stay, the two sisters discover his true origins, his talents as a gifted violinist and embark on a journey they had never imagined for themselves.
Editor's Note
Based on a short story by William J. Locke, two spinster sisters, Ursula and Janet (Judi Dench and Maggie Smith), live in an old house by the sea in 1930s Cornwall, England. Their pleasant but uneventful routine of beach walks, reading, sewing, and tea time is interrupted when Andreas, a handsome young Polish violinist (Daniel Bruhl, from GOODBYE, LENIN!) washes ashore, barely alive. The girls nurse him back to health and for the never-married Ursula it's a case of first love far too late in life. She helps him overcome the language barrier, only to possibly lose him to a younger woman, the gorgeous visiting artist (Natasha McElhone) who recognizes his musical talent and is in a situation to help him. It's a simple story, though a perfect showcase for the mastery of Dench and Smith, two of the greatest thespians of all time (though Miriam Margolyes steals many scenes as the no-nonsense housekeeper). The director, Charles Dance, is a major British actor himself, thus his grasp of the myriad subtleties of the art is spot-on here in his directorial debut. Period detail is also of key importance, and cinematographer Peter Biziou captures the invitingly homey yet windswept otherness of the locale and time. Music is also a key component here, and the violin passages attributed to Andreas are stunningly emotional.
| Features | Ladies in Lavender: A Fairy Tale Featurette | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Sony Pictures |
| Release Date: 4/24/2007 |
| Running Time: 104 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2005 | | Catalog ID: 13106 | | UPC: 00043396131064 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Daniel Bruhl | | Judi Dench | | Maggie Smith | | Natascha McElhone | | Caroline Amies - Production Designer | | Charles Dance - Director | | Charles Dance - Screenplay | | Charles Dance, et. al. - Executive Producer | | Michael Parker - Editor | | Nicholas Brown, et. al. - Producer | | Nigel Hess - Original Music By | | Peter Biziou, et. al. - Cinematographer | | William J. Locke - Story By |
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"[T]hese two great actresses sink into their roles as comfortably as house cats burrowing into a down quilt on a windswept, rainy night." 04/29/2005 p.E10Los Angeles Times
"[A]n endearing film of subtlety and charm.... It is a pleasure from start to finish." 04/29/2005 p.E10 Chicago Sun-Times 4 of 10
Ladies in Lavender, directed by the actor Charles Dance, is perfectly sweet and civilized, and ends with one of those dependable scenes where -- gasp! -- look who's in the audience at the concert! It's a pleasure to watch Smith and Dench together; their acting is so natural it could be breathing. But Daniel Bruhl is tiresome as Andrea; he has no dark side, no anger, no fierceness, and although we eventually discover why he left Poland, we do not know if it was from passion or convenience. He is an ideal dinner guest; the kind of person you are happy enough to have at the table, but could not endure on a three-day train journey. - Roger Ebert
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