The Lady in the Van Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
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.
For more about The Lady in the Van and the The Lady in the Van Blu-ray release, see the The Lady in the Van Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on April 14, 2016 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.5 out of 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.
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 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.
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).
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.
Use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons to agree or disagree that the title is similar to The Lady in the Van. You can also suggest completely new similar titles to The Lady in the Van in the search box below.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release on Blu-ray Nicholas Hytner's film Lady in the Van (2015), starring Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Jim Broadbent, Frances de la Tour, and Roger Allam. The release will be available for purchase on April 19.
The Hollywood foreign Press Association has announced the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Nominations. Todd Haynes' Carol leads with five, followed by Adam McKay's The Big Short, Alejandro González Ińárritu's The Revenant, and Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs, each having secured ...
Use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons to agree or disagree that the title is similar to The Lady in the Van. You can also suggest completely new similar titles to The Lady in the Van in the search box below.
