Product Description

All but abandoned by her family in a london retirement hotel an elderly woman strikes up a curious friendship with a young writer. Studio: Westlake Entertainmnt Inc Release Date: 12/05/2006 Starring: Joan Plowright Zoe Tapper Run time: 108 minutes Director: Dan Ireland

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11076 in DVD
• Brand: WESTLAKE ENTERTAINMENT INC
• Released on: 2006-12-12
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .31 pounds
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.com
The talented indie director Dan Ireland (The Whole Wide World, ) brings his deft, intimate touch to a lovely tale of family--and how to build one. Joan Plowright is Mrs. Palfrey, a genteel widow who moves to London to start her life anew, and to be less of a burden to her daughter. When she arrives at the dowdy Claremont Hotel, which is not quite the picture of loveliness it was in the brochure, Plowright delivers Mrs. P's quick assessment--"Oh, dear"--with a spot-on mix of fleeting disappointment and stiff-upper-lip-itude. As she settles in among the oddball residents of the hotel, her life appears to be heading into a slow, downward decline. But when she meets young aspiring writer Ludovic (the adorable British actor Rupert Friend), Mrs. P--and we--learns that real family ties can be chosen, not inherited. The storyline is familiar and simple, with echoes of Tuesdays with Morrie, but the intimacy portrayed by the two lead actors brings surprising layers and emotion to the film, which envelopes the viewer like a cozy shawl. Extras include an excellent commentary with Ireland and producer Zachary Matz, Plowright's acceptance speech for an AARP award for her role in the film, and photo galleries. --A.T. Hurley

Review
A tender, touching deeply moving film --Jeffrey Lyons, NBC Reel Talk

Review
The great Joan Plowright stars in a sleeper well worth discovering on DVD. Joan Plowright is one of England s foremost character actresses, but Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont offers her a starring role as an older woman whose children don t have much use for her... so she moves into a residential hotel in London that caters to senior citizens. The gossip quotient runs high in the communal dining room, so when Plowright enters into an unlikely friendship with a nice young man, played by Rupert Friend, she claims he s her son. This little white lie snowballs and causes considerable confusion as the story develops. Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont is a genteel slice of life with winning characters and wonderful performances. It didn t get much promotion when it played in theaters, but it s getting a second lease on life thanks to DVD, and I encourage you to give it a try. I think you ll find it a charmer --Leonard Maltin - KNX RADIO

Customer Reviews

A treasure!
After the film came to an end (I'd rented it on DVD), a friend who had enjoyed it with us said, "Where did you hear about this movie?" And I wasn't quite sure where I'd first seen mention of the film until, in watching an extra on the DVD, Joan Plowright's acceptance speech as winner of a best actress award from AARP, I realized it had been in a recent AARP magazine I'd received. If we lived in a just world, then Joan Plowright's performance as Mrs. Palfrey would have received an Academy Award nomination last year. When one considers what passes for entertainment nowadays, this film can stand head and shoulders above so many. No sense giving you a rundown on the story itself; suffice it to say that, if you've any curiosity as to what ageing will be like, if you've any curiosity as to how those moving into their later senior years deal with the good and bad of growing older, this movie will enlighten you. And this chance possibility of paths crossing, lives changed, the opportunity to grow from a chance encounter and a friendship formed are all beautifully explored in this wonderful little film. Rupert Friend delightfully holds his own as he and Ms Plowright form what might seem like an unlikely but beautiful friendship. There is nary a false move in his performance nor hers. I'm buying a DVD copy of my own to share with my many senior friends who, I'm sure, have yet to enjoy this story.

one of this years best
Joan Plowright gives one of her best performances in this deeply effecting little film.. I love all of the characters staying in the hotel..every detail is surprisingly well done.. This is no Harold and Maude tale as others have noted but rather a story of two people who seem to understand each other in a way that even their closest relations do not.. It is charming right to the end - even if somewhat predictable..
Joan Plowright has such a lovely presence and never has to force her acting at all - she is so natural and believable.. I am sure this movie will have a lasting power..

Age is but a state of mind!
One chance meeting, two changed lives. I suggest before you watch the DVD you listen to the narrative of the producer and director which is a value add on the DVD. It will give you great4er insight into this delightful film that seems timeless. An elegant wido Joan Plowright plays Mrs. Paltrey who moves into a residence hotel called the Claremont in London. Instead of it being a cosmopolitan boutique hotel, it turns out to be one of those forgettable places with the bath down the hall. A chance meeting with a dashing young writer Rubert Friend changes both of their lives. They were meant to meet. NO this is not a may/december love story but it is a romance of a certain kind. A nice valentine to any age who doesn't know that love comes in many places and ways in our lives. And it's important to embrace it and accept it and be grateful for what crosses our path. Family of choice is sometimes so much more meaningful than family of chance (the one you're born into). This was an indy film made for $1 million on location in London -- amazing quality and a charming script. Bravo.