Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005)

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005)

An adorable, low-budget comedy-drama about a sweet old woman and the connections she makes

7.2

Movie

United Kingdom
English
Comedy, Drama, Family
2005
DAN IRELAND
Anna Massey, Clare Higgins, Georgina Hale
108 min

What it's about

All but abandoned by her family in a London retirement hotel, an elderly woman strikes up a curious friendship with a young writer.

The take

It may look like a cheap TV movie, but this quietly affecting story of a lonely grandmother looking for kindness and meaning at a retirement hotel is an absolutely charming watch for you, your parents, and your own grandparents. The stakes are refreshingly low, as the title character's quick friendship with a twentysomething writer helps each of them get through their feelings of being out of place. There's lots of effective, British-style comedy from this small cast of instantly likable actors, and an unexpectedly potent emotional core, making you realize only by the end just how invested you've become in their interactions. As Mrs. Palfrey, Joan Plowright is a wonderful, gentle presence, and her easy chemistry with Rupert Friend is exactly as wholesome as the film needs.

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