Review of The Lady in the Van (2015) by Ian G — 21 May 2016

One of the token blue hair films that come out around Oscar time in the hopes it secures said actress a nomination at the Dolby theatre the following February. In this case, Lady in the Van centres around Maggie Smith's mysterious Lady in the Van who we see be involved in a car accident and subsequently goes on what we believe to be the lamb to a random street in London that a writer moves to, and subsequently parks her fan to squat in his driveway for the next 15 years acting as an unexpected muse as she gradually reveals her background as a very solid pianist and nun who is deeply troubled.

Maggie's performance is ok given what she has to work with, but there doesn't seem to be a big enough or at least well executed arc to truly connect with her, and the writer Jennings just comes across as too much of a snobby wannabe Nic Cage from Adaptation talking to a visable figment of himself as his picks elements of Maggies misfortune as well as his mothers to put on in parts of the west end.

Bland and uninspired.