There’s something particularly ridiculous about getting dressed up in black tie to go to the cinema. But it’s fun to dress up and for no clear reason, I got an invitation to the Royal Command Film Performance of Ladies in Lavender.
This is the new film featuring the two Dames – Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. It’s the directorial debut of Charles Dance, who’s also adapted it from a short story by William J Locke.
Ursula and Janet are sisters living in an idylic Cornish cottage, who one day find a half-drowned young man (Daniel Bruhl from Good Bye Lenin) on the beach. They nurse him back to health and they discover that he’s actually a Pole. They also find out that he has a talent for the violin, and a visiting tourist (the lovely Natascha McElhone) hears him and realises he has talent.
I won’t go any further, except to say that the film’s tagline about a “stranger who stole their hearts” is profoundly apt. A thoroughly enjoyable film that never turns in the direction you expect it. And the music is wonderful.
I don’t know if the Queen enjoyed it, although she stayed for the credits. But Philip wasn’t there – I suspect he wanted to catch Spooks on TV.