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| Maggie Smith |
The charming, well-acted new British dramedy "The Lady in the Van" is a loosely-based true story of a homeless woman who lived in a van in the driveway of a famous playwright for a number of years. The narrative falters a bit, especially in the later acts, but it's held together by the usually fantastic Smith, in fine, cantankerous form as the homeless woman. In 1974 London, playwright Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) develops an unlikely friendship with Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith), a homeless woman who lives in a van in his driveway for the next 15 years. Directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by Bennett ("The History Boys") himself, the enjoyable "The Lady in the Van," based on Bennett's 1999 play of the same name starring Smith and which actually happened, it's unconventional and often very funny, thanks to the superb (albeit hammy) Smith, who rides off with the movie in her freshly painted yellow van. When Smith isn't onscreen, the film is less successful and somewhat confusing, as Bennett (the real Bennett cameos at the end of the movie) has long conversations with himself, or another part of his mind, about what to do with Miss Shepherd, an artsy technique that likely would've worked better on stage than on film. Of course, he ends up taking care of her, something he's hesitant to admit to, in spite of throwing out her trash and stepping in her feces. Smith, in a more unsympathetic, physical role than usual (this isn't "Downtown Abbey"), can do this sort of part in her sleep, and she handles it with her typical charm and grace, and even if you don't like her at first, she'll win you over by the end of the movie. The ending for "Lady in the Van," an uneven one geared more toward fantasy, doesn't really work, and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the character-driven movie, but overall it's an entertaining, uplifting look at an unusual relationship that blossomed over the years. Definitely worth a look for Smith.
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