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    The Lady in the Van

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    “The Lady in the Van” is a great example of what I call “One of those stories that’s so crazy it HAS to be true”. It handles several subjects, and one aspect of storytelling that most films struggle with in a way that’s remarkably elegant and innovative. Combine that with a fascinating story, strong performances and you’ve got a film that’s unique and highly recommended.

    Based on true events, it follows Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings), a playwright who one day decides to allow Miss Mary Shepherd, the local homeless woman (the titular “Lady in the Van”, played by Maggie Smith) to stay in his driveway so her vehicle doesn’t get towed away. She winds up staying for 15 years.

    I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say “The book was better”. It’s a statement that infuriates me because it shows people’s inability to differentiate how different mediums excel at conveying certain emotions, ideas or stories, but not others. It’s comparing apple pie to orange juice. Books are different from movies in two major ways. The first is that books are longer. They can afford to be since you don’t have to sit in a theatre while someone reads it to you. You go through them at your leisure, while films tend to wrap up their stories at the 90-minute mark. The other thing that books are more elegant at handling is internal narration. It’s just weird to have someone turn at the camera and explain to you what he or she was thinking (Does the whole world freeze around them? ) or simply have a narrator speak over the action. “The Lady in the Van” handles this issue marvellously. From the beginning, we’re told that there are “two people” within Alan Bennet. There’s the writer and the person who actually lives out there in the real world. They’re the same person, but the writer comes up with clever comebacks, or explains to us why things happen… all from the comfort of his desk and even then, only in hindsight. I thought it was very cleverly done. It allows you to see the real-world events, the play the events got turned into and the film itself inspired by the play in a way that’s unique. It’s the closest thing I’ve encountered to seeing what a true train of thought feels like.

    While I was watching the film, I found myself confronted with many ideas, the kind that can only come from stories that are truly genuine. What do you make, for example, of the fact that Alan wants to put his mother in his home? He doesn’t want to take care of her himself, but the homeless woman he accidentally picked up is allowed to live on his property? What is it about your family? You love them, but you don’t necessarily feel about them the same way that you do your friends, your hobbies or your job. Is it because our family is thrust upon us without our choosing and therefore, no matter how much we love them, they feel like an obligation, a chore instead of a treat?

    “The Lady in the Van”, holds you like a homeless man holds onto a five dollar bill he’s just found on the floor because you’re drawn in by the characters. Mary isn’t a nice old lady. She’s frequently incoherent, rude, she smells awful and sometimes she’s so obsessed with the few things she manages to wrap her mind around and care about that she becomes completely intolerable. We’re told from Alan (the closest thing she could call a friend) that she’s awful. You’re right, she is. But she’s our “Lady in the Van” and that makes her valuable, endearing. She’s frequently very funny but also tragic. It’s a delicate mix. We’re never laughing at her expense nor are we brought to tears, but the emotional impact is there. The same applies to Alan. He’s also rude, insensitive and he sure likes to talk to/about himself an awful lot. But you get to know them and once you do, you realize that they’re the kind of people that’s worth getting to sit down and have a chat with for 104 minutes (much more reasonable than 15 years)

    I hope that people take a chance with “Lady in the Van”. Actually taking a chance is the wrong word. That implies there are odds that you won’t come out on top, which you will. So let’s change that to: I hope people will wander out of their comfort zone and wait a couple of days to see the huge blockbuster in order to see this small film that has emotional impact. It’s got terrific performances, ideas that will stick with you and a solid, pitch-perfect ending. I thought it was very innovative in the way it handles the transition from stage play to film and while not life-changing, this is going to be a story that will stick with me for a while. (Theatrical version on the big screen, March 26, 2016)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  28.3.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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