A lonely pair of people, one in her 70's, one in his 20's, find each other in London and become a makeshift family far better than their "real" families.It's a bit cloying and sometimes unrealistic--for instance, how someone who looks like Rupert Friend could possibly be without a girlfriend for so long as a day beggars belief, and we're supposed to believe that he has a hard time finding one. And London is awfully safe and clean, here. The hotel is, I think, supposed to be a bit seedy (at least dialog suggests so) but what is on film is glistening. That the writer sometimes has VO narration is odd--it comes so infrequently, it feels like a mistake when it arrives. And it all moves verrry. slowwww. ly.But if you like these sorts of meandering feel-good stories, without any edge whatsoever, it is well enough done. The acting is good. There aren't many good roles for older women, and this has several. Rupert Friend is gorgeous and charming, and the scene where he sings "We May Never Meet Again" to her is a moving emotional climax and worth waiting through the slower points before (though if you're a of a certain mindset about music, you may not like the jazz spin he puts on it.) Her date with the older fellow is quite funny, too, and puts some interest into a sluggish part of the film.

I rarely take the time to write a review on any website, but after watching this film, I had to add my comments in the hopes that more people will watch this movie. This is one of the finest films I have ever seen, and to be sure, one of the most touching. Joan Plowright deserved at least an Oscar nomination (and probably a win) for this movie. There are films you see, and then there are films you feel, this is one of those you feel. I cannot recommend this film enough for anyone who loves quality movie making at its finest. Utter perfection in the acting, direction, cinematography, and a perfect musical score. I give this film an 11 out of 10. I saw it for the first time last month (July 2008) and tonight watched it for the 2nd time, and it surely won't be the last. If you have a heart, this one's for you! A touching, romantic lovely story (one of the only films I have liked better than the book) that is the type of film which is very hard to come by these days. From the moment it began until the end, I was captivated by the story and the performances of the film. I really do wish more films like this were made. I recommend this film, which is now on my list of the top 20 of all time.

Taking a cue (in an albeit more restrained way) from where HAROLD AND MAUDE left off, Dame Elizabeth Taylor's poignant story MRS PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT gets a simple but utterly engaging translation unto the big screen and becomes a quiet, but emotionally satisfying comedy-drama of manners that is much, much more.Mrs. Palfrey (Dame Joan Plowright) is a widow who practically has been abandoned by her family. She's come to London on a spree, thinking that the Claremont is a fancy hotel, wanting to reunite with her grandson and at least have some familial connection resumed. The grandson turns out to be a fluke -- he never answers her calls -- as Mrs. Palfrey realizes at the same time, the hotel is a retirement home of sorts, something that makes her an immediate outsider (a tenant played by Anna Massey is quick to tell her that she is overdressed for dinner on one instance). Her alienation increases as other guests in the hotel insinuate that maybe she doesn't have a grandson after all.A fluke encounter on the way to return a book puts her in the path of Ludovic Meyer (Rupert Friend), an aspiring writer. Both become fast acquaintances, and Mrs. Palfrey asks him a favor: to pose as her grandson. Which he does.MRS PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT presents this deceptively simple premise with elegance and attention to its characters, who are never underwritten or seem to behave according to the expectations of their respective roles. Unlike HAROLD AND MAUDE, however, there is only one scene where Rupert Friend shows his chest, and his character's relationship with Plowright is purely a meeting of souls who learn from each other and establish an unbreakable bond. It's a rare story in an industry that tends to neglect older characters as people with simple needs, and Plowright's portrayal of Mrs. Palfrey is up at a level of depth and texture displayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins in THE WORLD'S FASTEST Indian. One of the quietest, yet most intense dramas of 2005.

I watched this movie simply because Joan Plowright was the lead. I actually had no idea what the movie was about. I was enthralled immediately, especially when I saw the cast surrounding Ms. Plowright. All seasoned and wonderful actors that helped make this movie more than a bit of fluff. This will probably not appeal to Action/Adventure addicts or most men, but it was a wonderful little movie. The friendship and love that develop between Mrs. Palfry and Ludo is believable because both people needed each other at that time. I know that young men can be that kind and caring. While in London a week ago I had taken the underground to Gloucester Rd. from Heathrow. My friend and I both had 50 lb. suitcases with us and we are both women over 60. As we turned the corner and saw the steps we had to climb to reach the street, a young man of around 25 was on his way down. He saw us struggling, picked up our suitcases, one in each hand and carried them up both flights of stairs!! We tried to pay him and all he said was, "Just enjoy the rest of your visit to London ladies". So there really are young, handsome men that don't knock you over in their haste to get somewhere. The young man in the movie went to Mrs. Palfry's aid in almost the same fashion.This movie is definitely sentimental, but not in a cloying, unctuous way. I enjoyed it thoroughly.