Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Lady in the Van Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 14, 2016

A bit of embellishment never hurt anybody, and a dose of reality is sometimes the best medicine. The Lady in the Van comes based on "a mostly true story" that centers on a woman's bizarre twilight years that see her live out of a jalopy of a van in a posh London neighborhood and the love/hate relationship she develops with a resident. The film embraces the title character's eccentricities while finding purpose in defining them. It speaks to a number of basic, approachable themes about the value of life, judgment and perception of others, and self-worth. More broadly, its about neighborly values and goodwill to others, qualities that trump an eyesore van and the stench that comes from it. How much of the movie is fact and how much of it is fiction is up for the viewer to decide and discover, but the end cinematic result is an amiable, if not a bit aimless, film that blends cheery and sometimes awkward humor with a tenderness befitting life's simplest treasures, even when they come wrapped in the most repulsive of packages.

The lady in the van.

Mary Shepherd (Maggie Smith) doesn't fit in. She wears the latest fashions scoured from the trash heap. She hasn't bathed in who knows how long. She lives out a van, and her idea of "home improvement" is to slather yellow paint all over it, and the wrong sort of paint for the job at that. She's a mystery to all who know her, at least a mystery beyond the obvious eye- and nose-sore that her presence brings to an otherwise pleasant and upscale London neighborhood. She's found a "friend" in a writer named Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) who finds some inspiration in her comings and goings that always begin and end in his driveway, where he's allowed her to park that beater van. But she's more than just a smelly irritation, as it turns out. Behind the tattered clothes and smelly veneer is a a rather accomplished woman whose life has taken her down an unexpected, unpredictable, uncommon, and in many ways unwelcoming path.

The Lady in the Van is unquestionably Maggie Smith's movie. The veteran actress absorbs her character's qualities and oozes her personality and eccentricities with a lived-in authenticity that extends well beyond the frayed and frazzled wear and tear of a difficult life and the smell that supposedly lingers about her. There's a depth of character evident in every scene, each moment an opportunity to embellish but at the same time explore, to present the character as a flawed but real individual whose outward repulsiveness is countered by a gradually unfolding tale of who she is, where she's been, and what's driven her to a life well outside of societal norms. The movie is, essentially, the tale of her versus the world, the "world" represented by the audience and embodied on screen by the neighborhood in which she lives and the man who finds it in his heart to keep her around and serve as the eyes, ears, and conscience (and thankfully not nose) of the audience. Their relationship explores beyond common courtesies and the finer qualities inherent to the human condition. Of course, she serves a purpose in his life as well, but their symbiotic relationship develops beyond the mutually beneficial as their stories emerge and, in some ways, converge. Alex Jennings can't match Smith's full-on embodiment of her character, but he's a strong contrast and carries what is arguably the heavier burden with approachable grace and understanding of the movie's larger purpose.

The Lady in the Van takes no time to find a charm and appeal -- Smith ensures that much -- but it does take a while to settle into a dramatic narrative, to not explore but to simply reveal the purpose behind the agreeable oddities that abound. Director Nicholas Hytner compiles the movie with an underscored simplicity that's as slow to reveal as it is to get its bearings. But it's not lethargic. It's crisp and captivating, if at times only for Smith's performance, though it's always leading to something more substantial than the bits that build it upwards. One might find fault in the movie's failure to offer a more elaborate commentary on life -- it's ultimately a very simple but noble tale of human bonding and understanding -- but it's in the way the film explores the themes with a clear-cut understanding of them, from Smith in particular but also in Hytner's direction, that makes it more than an appealing extended skit and instead something special in the larger context of human existence. It's never cheap or corny, favoring a humorous overlay to be sure but finding a strength in sincerity embodied by Smith's inspired and inhabited performance.

The Lady in the Van Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Lady in the Van features a stable, consistent, and thoroughly enjoyable 1080p transfer. Sony's 1.85:1-framed image, sourced from a digital shoot, presents vivid colors and complex details with ease. Digital source flatness is a minor concern, but the image quickly assuages any doubts with a robust presentation of brick, stone, and pavement exterior details around the neighborhood, all of which appear with a healthy level of definition and tactile complexity. Shepherd's frayed and grimy garments are presented with every little bit of weathered and worn nuance that the 1080p transfer can squeeze from the source, while cleaner, straighter attire appears with complex fabric lines and seams across a wide variety of garments. The van's interior and exterior wear and rust and all of the little dirty odds and ends within are a playground of visual robustness. Facial details are precise down to the finer points. Colors are appropriately lively, particularly the yellow paint Shepherd uses on her van. The overall color scheme, however, which is a nice blend of warmer wooden interior accents, cheery splashes of clothing color, and natural greens, never want for more vitality or consistency. Skin tones hold true and black levels present with sufficient depth and definition. Neither source noise and artifacts nor compression anomalies are present in any sort of abundance of note. This is a resplendent presentation from Sony.

The Lady in the Van Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Lady in the Van rolls onto Blu-ray with a solid all-around DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music enjoys fine clarity. It remains largely the property of the front speakers, but spacing across that half of the stage is wide and fluid. The track captures all sorts of little environmental ambient effects, such as chirping birds, and those do scatter all over the listening area. The most active moments come right at the beginning over a blackened screen when the entire stage fills with bits of rattly, crunchy chaos, and later around the 33-minute mark when the van rattles and rocks all over the soundstage. Otherwise, this is largely a dialogue intensive listen, and the spoken word flows from the center with effortless definition and prioritization.

The Lady in the Van Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Lady in the Van contains several extras, including a commentary and three deleted scenes. No digital or DVD copies are included.

• Audio Commentary: Director/Producer Nicholas Hytner discusses the movie's modest ambitions, themes, construction, characters, performances, and much more. Hytner covers all the usual bases but fills in the movie with a profound and agreeable insight that goes beyond the basics. The track is well worth a listen.
• Playing the Lady: Maggie Smith as Miss Shepherd (1080p, 6:22): Cast and crew, including Smith herself, praise the legendary actress' performance and dissect the character and the qualities she brought to the part.
• The Making of The Lady in the Van (1080p, 13:46): A quick reflection on the story, the director's personal experiences with the real characters, the stage production, the importance of casting Maggie Smith, casting additional roles, shooting locations, and the character's legacy. The piece also includes interviews with the real Alan Bennett.
• The Visual Effects (1080p, 7:29): A discussion of how the filmmakers created two characters played by Alex Jennings and the film's finale.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): You Could Get a Tent (1:09), I'm Preparing My Manifesto (1:43), and She Has a Low, Quiet Voice (1:54).
• The Lady in the Van Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:58).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

The Lady in the Van Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Lady in the Van is a sweet and tender film that contrasts the inner and outer individual. There's more to someone than the clothes they wear or the place they call home. It's hardly a revelatory theme, but it's handled remarkably well with a commendable outward simplicity and a depth befitting the outstanding performances and technical assemblage that make it possible. The movie is sincere in story and approachable in construction, a fine film that speaks directly to the heart. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Lady in the Van features standout video and rock-solid audio. Extras are average in quantity and quality. Highly recommended.