An apparently homeless woman lives in van. Authorities tell her she cannot continue to park on the street, so she temporarily parks her vehicle in a benevolent stranger’s driveway. It remains there for 15 years.
This remarkably touching arrangement is true and takes place in London. Alex Bennett (Alex Jennings) is the home owner. Maggie Smith (Maggie-Margaret-Mary Shepherd) at the age of 81 plays the van owner to the hilt sans make-up.
The van is a mess. Personal hygiene is provided via plastic bags which accumulate around the van. Shepherd has the unique ability to get help from the neighbors by acerbically rejecting them.
Shepherd is not without a history. We find a glimpse of a twice attempted terms at a nunnery. She is an accomplished pianist. She is not without means.
At the heart of the film is the relationship between Bennet and Shepherd. A mother-son attachment is thin. Bennet’s alter ego appears, justifying this arrangement.
The best I can say is that this is a charming, true life story. Maggie Smith’s performance is a jewel. But there is no real peak or climax to the film which may induce some zzzz’s in the audience.
“The Lady in the Van” is currently playing at the Rialto Theater in the Villages. It gets a C rating from me. I need more movement in a film.
Villager Jack Petro reviews movies for Villages-News.com