Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Raj Doctor This is a true story that Alan Bennett wrote about a homeless lady Miss Shepherd who stayed in a van on the street near his house in seventies.The character of Alan Bennett is played excellently by Alex Jennings -who is always talking with his alter ego in the house, while he is scribbling his new play and notes in his book. The portrayal of Miss Shepherd is portrayed by Maggie Smith - and she lives the eccentric character - living under the skin. All awards - won or nominated were for Maggie Smith's brilliant performance. The story is about this girl Mary or Margaret (the younger version played by Clare Hammond) who is a gifted pianist, aspires to become a nun, but because of her argumentative nature is thrown away and admitted by her brother to an asylum from where she runs away and at one point in her life - has a car accident in which a young motor- cyclist dies. She does not report the incident and always blames herself - living under the fear that one day she might be arrested for the crime.There are several layers in the character of Miss Mary Shepherd that we come to know with each small episode she has with a big hearted Alan Bennett - who hesitantly gives her a temporary place to part the vehicle in front of his house, then in his empty front park - and that beautiful bond of LOVE relationship continues for 15 years till she dies. The real Miss Shepherd died in 1986, and she was granted a placard on the house of Alan Bennett by the community she lived in - which stands even today. The movie has wonderful chatty conversations and dialogues between Alan and Alan's alter ego interrupting Alan and Mary's conversations - that are sometimes hilarious Very well written and adapted screenplay from the memoir written by Alan Bannett by the same name.Made on a budget of USD 6 million, the movie has raked in more than USD 40 million worldwide. The Director Nicholas Hytner has done a commendable job in sticking to the authenticity of the narrative. What is beautiful about the character of Miss Shepherd is her unwillingness to leave her life on any one else's terms. Her stubbornness and whimsical eccentric nature holds on true to the humor and empathy she evokes.All is done well with the humanity and out-reach of Alan Bennett who though shies to recognize to his credit the give immortality to this affable character of Miss Shepherd by his memoir and later by this movie.The movie makes us sensitive to the way old people are neglected and suffer and how they need some support and LOVE from someone - although strangers.The memoir has also been enacted as a popular play in United Kingdom.I would go with 6.75 out of 10 for this nice to watch movie

Joe Day I took this off the shelf at my local library thinking I would enjoy Maggie Smith and a British comedy. What a disappointment. Perhaps it is the way British people are portrayed as just so nauseatingly tolerant it makes me know how the country is in the state it is in now with the social justice warriors out in full force.Here you have this woman who for all intents and purposes is nuttier than a fruitcake, she stinks too, and yet the whole town seems bent on not appearing "prejudiced" and so they go along with it to make themselves feel better - they admit this. None of the characters held my interest including the milquetoast writer who ends up with her vehicle in his driveway for years.I am all for being intrigued by the lives of those who appear lost and homeless. But this was nothing but a vanity exercise for Smith and not a very good one. I would not want to live in this neighborhood and at the rate Britain is going, who else will want to either?

MakeBelieve63 The writer doesn't want to bother with the crazy woman in the van, but his other half can not turn away a needy person. The entire neighborhood grows and evolves around the woman in the van. Back in the day, when this originally almost truly happened, people were different. People cared for people. Miss Shepherd was portrayed perfectly by Maggie Smith. I love how she blurts out lines and then follows up with a sensible statement. You can see the fear she has about her past, and the need to know in her landlords expressions. The curiosity wants you to shot out: Tell me what happened to her. Why would she live in a van for so many years?I really liked this movie.

Irishchatter I have liked Alan Bennett ever since his TV series and the stage adaption of History Boys years ago. Alex Jennings was really a good pick for him because the real Alan Bennett and himself very much look the same. I was very surprised that the real Alan Bennett appeared in the near end of the film, I thought that was honestly Alex Jennings lol! Its like they are swapping around as twins, you don't realise which one was which!Maggie Smith was good as the old woman, she does know how to play a cranky one too! Although I couldn't understand why her character wasn't seen escaping the nursing home, it was as if she runned and left her wheelchair behind. Yeah the social worker appeared but why didn't we see her running away from the nursing home?! Thats why I had to give this movie a 7/10, even though its alright but, I felt like it was being too rushed yknow!