Ladies In Lavender (2004)

Set in the Cornwall coast of 1936, a young Polish man (Daniel Bruhl)) is swept overboard from a ship during a storm. When he washes ashore on the beach, two elderly sisters (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith) find him and nurse him back to health. But the sisters' attachment to the young Pole becomes almost possessive. Based on the short story by William J. Locke and adapted for the screen and directed by the actor Charles Dance (WHITE MISCHIEF). I'm not overly fond of these genteel British period dramas but the expert performances of Smith and Dench are difficult to resist so I didn't even try. Their chemistry is off the charts and why shouldn't it be, they're BFFs in real life. It's a slight piece aided by cinematographer Peter Biziou's (THE TRUMAN SHOW) lovely Cornwall coastal landscapes. It's literate, intelligent and engrossing although the ending seems rushed and abrupt. In its way, it's the British equivalent of THE WHALES OF AUGUST which is a far superior film but in no way do I mean to put shade on this enchanting movie. Dance's screenplay was later adapted for the English stage with Hayley Mills getting excellent reviews in Dench's role. With David Warner, Natascha McElhone, Miriam Margolyes, Toby Jones and Freddie Jones.