Plowright Evokes Tears as Palfrey

This simple yet compelling human drama, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, focuses on an enchanting friendship between friends with ages differing by half a century. I think what made me really cry is the thought that this film may be more of a fantasy than The Lord of the Rings.

When Mrs. Palfrey moves to London, she finds herself in a resident hotel resembling something akin to British purgatory. Her son fails to visit, and the other nosy, elderly residents in equal need of life and diversion begin to doubt her son's existence. When Palfrey takes a nasty spill outside young Ludovic Mayer's apartment, they forge a refreshing friendship and subsequently fool the residents into believing Ludo is her grandson. This story, in less capable hands, might have been cheesy or pedestrian, but in the skilled hands of director Dan Ireland, and enhanced with the seamless acting of Joan Plowright and fresh newcomer Rupert Friend, Palfrey's stay at the Claremont feels fresh and tragically brief.

There is no bizarre, Harold and Maude oddity in this film adaption of Elizabeth Taylor's novel, though one of Ludovic's ex-girlfriends insinuates as much in one scene. The literate, sincere young man helps Palfrey when she injures her knee, and the two quickly realize that they have much to offer each other; Ludovic enjoys Palfrey's memories, her calm, her patience, and her quiet wisdom, while Mrs. Palfrey gleans joy and energy through the fresh, eager way Ludovic views the world, in stark contrast to the zombified lives of her aged peers. When her grandson does finally turn up, Palfrey gives him the bum rush.

The supporting characters add a splash of balanced humor to the drama; Anna Massey is touching as the controlling Mrs. Arbuthnot, and Robert Lang's aged suitor to Palfrey is delightfully painful to watch, but the best comedic bits are handled by Timothy Bateson as the ever-exhausted Doorman. Ireland's direction keeps the comedy properly subdued and appropriately British in style and wit. Still, it is the polished perfection of Dame Joan Plowright that grounds the film and makes it feel substantive, even when a contrivance in the film enables the older woman to play a part in Ludo finding new love.

Faced with a tight budget, Director Dan Ireland had the story moved from the 1950s to the present, but the tale survives the displacement and proves itself timeless. However, even as I read some early reviews and endorsements for the film, I found myself disappointed with some comments that recommended it for viewers over fifty. How tragic that a film celebrating the joy and growth found in cross-generational relationships should essentially be pigeon-holed for a particular generation! In my mind, I envision theatres full of Mrs. Palfreys, alone with no Ludovic Mayers by their sides, wishing that their grandchildren, or a friendly boy or girl, might share their lives and learn something from this touching story.

Moses wrote in Scripture that we should "rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God." Reverence for the Creator of the Universe and proper treatment of our elders appear in the self-same breath. Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont does not preach, but its familiar story should serve to remind young viewers how we ought to treat those who are in their golden years, with a full life and more in common than we often give them credit for. At one point, Ludovic bemoans the fact that he wasn't born in "simpler times." Palfrey rightly chides him for his romanticized assumption that the days of her youth were any "simpler" than his. Technological window-dressing and customs might change, but the timeless problems of family strife, toil, love, and coming of age were never less complicated; many we disparage as "out of touch" have walked in our shoes decades before we shoe-horned them on.

The book of 1 Timothy describes a good relationship with those older and younger than us: "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need." When Palfrey wakes in a start from her chair, with her late husband's name on her lips, Plowright evinces such emotion and heartache, it makes every viewer with a meaningful relationship feel the pain of separation we rarely like to consider. The film is a gentle reminder to enjoy the life we've been given, to break out of our comfort zone, and to seek diverse relationships that will challenge us and make us grow.