Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (DVD, 2006)

This film was beautifully made -- It tells the poignant tale of two lonely people... One an old widow with no family to care for her; And the other a young man struggling to make a living as a writer. The unlikely pair end up forming a strong bond that neither of them knew they needed so badly. This movie is just so beautifully simple and pure. The main point being cherish your friendships while there is still time. Rupert Friend really brought his character to life. The tale is touching, sad, funny and beautiful all at the same time. Definitely worth seeing if you get the chance.

CAST: Joan Plowright, Rupert Friend, Anna Massey, Zoe Tapper, Georgina Hale, Millicent Martin, Marcia Warren, Robert Lang, Michael Culkin, Clare Higgins, Lorcan O'Toole

I really enjoy British films. And Mrs. Palfrey is no exception. There are a lot of female actors that you may recognize if you watch BBC TV and films. I have never seen the young man (Rupert Friend) but he does have sincere and mature way about him. Joan Plowwright who normally plays a very strong woman is now a frail and aging widow who decides to live in a hotel for the rest of her life. It is very charming and I watch it often.

I saw the end of this film on one of the cable stations and was so impressed I ordered it the following day. It is a movie in the vein of Driving Miss Daisy in that it deals with an elderly woman dealing with loneliness and loss of independence. Then quite accidently she meets a much younger man and develops a deep friendship with him. Joan Plowright plays the elderly woman with grace and style and should have been nominated for an Oscar for this role. She did win the AARP best actress award and the footage of her accepting it is one of the extras on the dvd. The British film can be slow in places, but it shows how the wisdom of the old can help to shape the lives of the young.

This movie is a light-hearted delight for women of any age ... tho my husband of 50 years liked it also. It is especially poignant for those of us who have children and grandchildren who find us a bother. Joan Plowright is just perfect for the part of Mrs. Palfrey. The residents of the hotel where Mrs. Palfrey resides are played by actors I have never seen before, but they fill out the story even better than the ones in the book from which the movie was taken. Elizabeth Taylor (the author, not the actress) wrote some other books that would also make good movies.
I decided to buy the movie because I had seen it once and wanted it for further enjoyment and to share with friends.

I love Joan Plowright, and it was on her name that I bought the DVD. I tend to choose Britcoms or British movies for my home collection based on actors, whose works I have come to respect. Anything with (insert good British actor's name) usually are a pretty safe bet that the performance will be something the viewer will want to watch repeatedly.

Those who love the British romantic or comedic genres of many of Ms. Plowright's former works (such as Enchanted April, Tea with Mussolini, I Love You to Death), and expect to find something along the same vein in this story, may find themselves as disappointed as I was. In my opinion, the problem lies not in the acting, but in the flat direction of the movie, which deals with some very sobering truths about being elderly and alone. If this issue had been balanced with lighter, funnier scenes (there was plenty of occasion), it may have become a very good movie with a lovely storyline. Instead, it elicits little more than pathos on a number of levels for most of the main characters, Mrs. Palfrey most of all.

The saying, "It is better to act well in a bad movie, than act poorly in a great movie", holds true for Joan Plowright in Mrs. Palfrey. Though I haven't read the book, I suppose the premise sounded good for a movie. If one checks her body of work, she has made some wise selections for roles. If you really love Joan Plowright, and MUST see her as Mrs. Palfrey, I would suggest renting it. Better yet, wait until it comes around again on cable - for free.