Review of The Lady in the Van (2015) by Foxgrove — 04 Dec 2015
‘When I write about this it will be about a lot of s***’, states Alex Jennings as playwright Alan Bennett during a particularly insightful moment in this dull adaptation of Bennett’s own play. Whilst I wouldn’t have particularly chosen to use the phrase myself, its inclusion is pertinently apt given the film’s surprising failure.
As the saying goes if the cap, or in this instance the bag fits, wear it! Based on true events it lacks both drama and laughs. Maggie Smith can do this kind of role in her sleep. She is a wonderful actress and a great British institution, but there is nothing new in her characterisation here that she hasn’t done many times before.
Alex Jennings actually gives the best performance, well two actually, in a dual role that sees him uncannily impersonating Bennett as both the person and the writer. Only in the film’s final act does an element of pathos creep in to stir the interest, but it’s far too late in the day to stave off one’s overall disappointment and apathy.
This review of The Lady in the Van (2015) was written by Foxgrove on 04 Dec 2015.
The Lady in the Van has generally received positive reviews.
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