Ladies in Lavender

"British actor Charles Dance, making his directorial bow, shows an assured hand which foregoes stylistic flourishes for a thesp-centered portrayal of two spinster sisters."

"The cinematic equivalent of a visit from a cherished but increasingly dithery maiden aunt."

"This is a piece about sadness, rejection and endurance, with a beautiful setting, a succession of implausible incidents and characteristically excellent work from Maggie Smith."

"Perfectly sweet and civilized."

"A pleasure from start to finish."

"It is to Dance's considerable credit that he never lets the filmmaking overtake the understated storytelling."

"Given the cast and crew, this could have been the luvvie-fest to end them all; unbearably sentimental, hopelessly parochial and utterly self-indulgent. The fact that actor-turned-debut director Dance has produced a film of this calibre is nothing less than a minor modern miracle of British Cinema, not to mention a testament to the continued greatness of its leading Dames"