Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont (Joan Plowright)

(Amazon UK link)

I had this DVD on my wishlist for a while; Amazon recommended it to me, and it sounded like a gentle, thoughtful film for a winter evening. I was given it recently for Christmas. I was tired by the evening of New Year’s Day and knew I would struggle to understand the plot of some of the films in our to-be-watched drawer, but the blurb on the back of this suggested that it would be straightforward, with British rather than American voices. It sounded ideal.

Joan Plowright stars as the elderly, genteel Mrs Palfrey. We meet her as she is about to take up residence at the Claremont Hotel in London, after it has been recommended to her. She is determined to live independently of her daughter, and this hotel offers long-term accommodation, with other elderly people. However she’s initially rather horrified at the old-fashioned decor and unfriendly seating arrangements of the hotel dining room. The food isn’t great either.

I thought at first that the setting was perhaps the 1970s or even earlier; the hotel certainly seems to be from that era. But mentions are made of laptops and mobile phones, and it becomes clear that the film was in fact contemporary when it was made in 2005.

Mrs Palfrey has a grandson, Desmond, who lives in London. She’s written to him, and hopes that he will get in touch and come to see her. But weeks pass, and the other residents begin to think she’s making him up. She isn’t ready to join in with all the activities of those around her, and is clearly very lonely, still missing her husband who died some years previously. She has just one daughter and she’s not on great terms with her.

A slight accident leads to Mrs Palfrey meeting the young man Ludo (Rupert Friend). He’s an impoverished writer who lives in holey jeans and scruffy tops, but is a deep thinker, and also extremely kind. The two ‘click’... and as their friendship develops, links are seen between their lives, as they discuss favourite films, favourite songs, favourite place, and favourite poetry. The two have a wonderful chemistry, and the are totally believable in their very different roles.

There’s a bit of light humour in the film. Some of the Claremont residents are caricatured, and predictable, but amusing nonetheless. There’s also a great deal of poignancy. A relationship between a young man and someone old enough to be his grandmother is an unusual plot device; apparently the film is based on a novel of the same name, and it makes a very watchable and moving film.

The rating is PG, which is probably right; there’s no violence, no bad language as far as I recall, and just one ‘intimate’ scene in which not much can be seen. It’s not the kind of film that would appeal to young children anyway, though I should think that more thoughtful pre-teens and teenagers might well like it if they are happy to see films without any children in them.

The ‘extras’ were a bit disappointing: stills from the film, and information in textual form only. But that's only a minor glitch. The film itself was excellent and I would recommend it.

Review copyright 2017 Sue's DVD Reviews