Ladies in Lavender Critic Reviews

It is a pleasure from start to finish.Read the full review

Full of delightful moments that throw into high relief the actors' craft.Read the full review

The film is a small study in the dignity of letting go.Read the full review

A poignant portrait of one woman who has loved and lost, and another who never had a love to lose.Read the full review

It is to Dance's considerable credit that he never lets the filmmaking overtake the understated storytelling.Read the full review

His (Charles Dance) cinematic style mixes the scent of mothballs with that of the lavender in which these ladies are preserved.Read the full review

The cinematic equivalent of a visit from a cherished but increasingly dithery maiden aunt.Read the full review

It's important to go in knowing the central secret of the movie: Nothing exciting is going to happen. Ever. Armed with that knowledge, viewers should be able to settle down and enjoy the extremely low-key, melancholy character study that plays out between a handful of excellent actors.Read the full review

Likably played by Bruhl, the castaway remains more dramatic device than living, breathing character. And without him truly being there, Dench and Smith are just volleying an imaginary ping-pong ball between them. That's not acting -- that's exercise.Read the full review