Rent My Old Lady (2014)

My Old Lady review by Michelle Sommerville - Cinema Paradiso

Going into this film, I did not know what to expect. I had not read or heard anything about it, and the poster gave little away. My Old Lady, while not my type of film, did have interesting characters that drove the film along. It is a Dramatic Comedy that I don’t see making too much of a splash in the industry. It was nothing new, but it did well with the basics.

The film follows Mathias Gold (played by Kevin Kline), an American from New York who has just inherited, from his father, an apartment in Paris. It is only upon arrival, that he discovers Mathilde Girard (Maggie Smith). Mathilde is an elderly woman who resides in the house, and, along with her daughter (Kristin Scott Thomas), cause Gold more fuss than he could ever have expected.

I do not think anyone can deny the acting brilliance of Maggie Smith. Whether you have seen her in the Harry Potter series, or films for older audiences, she always manages to steal the show. Her co-stars - Kevin Kline and Kristin Scott Thomas - were hard-pressed in rivalling her immense talent and experience. That is not to say that they were not good, but Smith was the best. It could not have been easy to play these intricate characters, so kudos to them all.

Disappointingly, despite the good acting, the story was boring and drawn-out. I did not engage with it, and was not eager to know how it would end. The characters were the driving force, but also not entirely likeable. It was only during the latter half of the film that the story become really interesting, and if you made it this far, you most likely stayed till the end.

Being filmed in Paris, France, it is no surprise that the film had some breathtaking scenery. The house in question was also lovely, and is arguably the film’s fourth main character.

As I said before, the characters were what kept the film going. They were brilliantly created by Israel Horowitz, who managed to, as the film progressed, uncover layer upon layer of their characters. While a lot of their backstories revolved around the same issues - their relationships with their mothers or fathers - each of the main characters dealt with it in a different way.

My Old Lady has achieved impressive box office earnings, but has not faired quite as positively with critic and audience reviews. Complaints focus on the film’s slow progressing storyline, with audiences finding it difficult to maintain attention.

While this is not my type of film, it was not the worst out there, and I am sure there are those that will like it - particularly if you like films such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, or The Hundred Foot Journey.

The film is probably not the best for younger audiences. It does not contain anything overly inappropriate, but it does not seem to be something that would keep them entertained. Check it out for yourself.