The Lady In The Van (2015)

An eccentric homeless woman (Maggie Smith) who lives in a van moves into the driveway of a playwright (Alex Jennings) and stays there for fifteen years! A "mostly true" story based on Alan Bennett's play first produced in the West End in 1999 and directed by Nicholas Hytner (MADNESS OF KING GEORGE) who directed that production. This truth is stranger than fiction tale is a marvelous vehicle for Maggie Smith who gets to show off her polished comedic skills as well as the opportunity to display a more vulnerable side all in the same movie. To his credit, Bennett's screenplay is fluid and doesn't feel theatrical but the segue from comedy to the film's final poignant moments isn't smooth and doesn't sit well. But it's all a tour de force for Smith who milks every piece of wit out of each and every line and doesn't let a facial expression go by that won't kick the comedy up a notch or two. It's refreshing to see her do something different than her usual spinsters or high collar aristocrats. I can't of another actress that could have held the film together as well as she did. The supporting cast include James Corden, Jim Broadbent, Dominic Cooper, Frances De La Tour and Deborah Findlay.