6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Alan Bennett’s big-screen comedic adaptation of his own memoir and stage play. Bennett’s story is based on the true story of Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who “temporarily” parked her van in Bennett’s London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years. What begins as a begrudged favor becomes a relationship that will change both their lives.
Starring: Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Jim Broadbent, Frances de la Tour, Roger AllamBiography | 100% |
Period | 1% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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.
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 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 contains several extras, including a commentary and three deleted scenes. No digital or DVD copies are included.
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.
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Director's Cut
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