SunnyHello Nice effects though.

GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

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

GeneSiskel Every plot development in this movie, a meditation on life, death, love, poetic inspiration, and family ties, is hackneyed and accordingly totally predictable, but it satisfies just the same. The secret, I think, is the beauty which the cinematographer has wrung out of London, a preposterously gorgeous "retirement hotel," and the faces of the lead and character actors; the civility, respect for diversity, and stoicism inherent in the dialog; and the complete absence of anything like a laugh track to the comedy. Mrs. Palfrey, a London retiree recently widowed (played by Joan Plowright), befriends a good looking, slightly offbeat young man (played by Rupert Friend) who writes. A sensitive chap, he honors her friendship with the respect an older lady deserves. She guides him like the grandson she unfortunately has always had. He meets a girl. She lets him go. Enjoy it.

Al Rodbell My wife and I are in our sixties, on the cusp of the people who lived in the Claremont. Memories dim, connections become tenuous, and the good moments are all the more precious. As we watched it at home in our den, just the two of us together, without a word to each other, we realized our good fortune to have each other, to share experiences such as this. This film was inspired, yet true to the reality of those at the two poles of adulthood; Mrs. Palefry with her memories, and Ludovic, uncertain whether life is an insurmountable challenge or a delightful complexity to be unraveled and shared through his writing.While meeting "cute" could be a cinematic cliché, the genuineness of the characters immediately dispelled that thought, mostly because we cared about these people from the beginning. Every person who appeared in the film, from the forlorn doorman, the waitress, the hotel residents, all were people with real lives, whom we just didn't get quite enough time to get to know better.The scene where the three residents spontaneously joined in singing of "Autumnal Romance," took the risk of turning this serious film into a parody of a musical. It was a risk wisely taken, since those musicals are abstractions of human spirit that is quite real.Ludivic's singing the words, "For all we know," but to a different melody, was a stroke of brilliance, as it focused on the poetry, the touching mystery of these lyrics, disconnected from the enchanting music.If life is, as the song suggests, "only a dream," an ephemeral vivid simulacrum of life, usually lost upon awakening; this film managed to give this singular dream a permanence that will be treasured by young and old alike.

carlostrek My wife and I enjoyed this movie, very warmth and very sensitive to the needs of the elderly. Modern society has lost the sense of the extended family and with it we have lost the wisdom and love that our elderly citizens can provide to society. The acting was very good and the film score a pleasure to listen to. The director needs to be commended for not allowing this film to become a caricature of the elderly, but to bring realism to the problems of growing old and alone.I would suggest that you see this movie with your children and discuss their feelings afterward. It should prove interesting to hear their comments.We recommend this movie for the whole family.

forindcine I've got to be honest with you, I knew nothing about this film until a good friend and cinema buff informed me he had just seen this straightforward, uncomplicated, yet beautiful film. With complete respect and trust for my friend's taste, I summoned my wife and found Mrs. Palfrey at my local "indie" theater. (Thanks Ben)Once at the theater my anticipation increased when I realized the film would be presented via the use of a Digital Cinema Projector (DCP). DCP is the latest in film technology; the film's distributor delivers the production to the theater via a satellite download. As with all things digital, you completely eliminate image generation loss, dust, dirt or scratches on the film. The result is the brightest, cleanest, and sharpest images ever shown on theater screens. Images are so crisp, even an un-trained eye will notice something amazingly special. The solitary thing preventing and near flawless reproduction of the motion picture are the tiny particles always floating through the air between the projector and the screen. Ask about DCP the next time you "shell out" too much at your local cinema.Mrs. Palfrey is an intimate story from the U.K. It's about a widow who has lived a wonderful life with her husband but decides to move to London into a retirement hotel - the Claremont . For the first time, she has an opportunity to be her own woman, not a wife, mother or grandmother. She meets a young artist, about the age of her grandson, and starts the most beautiful platonic relationship ever seen on screen. They find themselves in a companionship full of discovery, growth, independence and cherished moments. The film is perfectly cast; each extended stay character at the Claremont quickly reminds you of people you know. Mrs. Palfrey, played by the wonderful Joan Plowright, will take you in with her sophistication, experience, motherly charm, warmth and personality. She's the woman we would all enjoy having around to enrich our lives.Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont is the kind of film you want to share with your mother, daughter, partner or good friend. Don't miss it.