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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 373971" data-attributes="member: 23">Ladies In Lavender (2004) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache-ec0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2F5a%2F08%2Fef%2F5a08ef9fa097b0a1e3f23c372f129282.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=14973ffa65640fb19546f332aea51ff060033cf57bbbda59b9725201e969610c&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 511px" /> Watched mainly on the basis that it includes both Miriam Margolyes and Judi Dench among its main cast. They do their Miriam Margolyes and Judi Dench things, along  with Maggie Smith doing her Maggie Smith thing. Daniel Brühl was great in this. He's kind of a fantasy character: a handsome young man who literally washes up onto shore to be taken in and cared for by two older women who find him in turn fascinating and attractive. His appeal as a naïf comes from his initial helplessness and his inability to speak English, something the women teach him. Recapping this story now, it strikes me that there are numerous parallels with Misery - right down to the hosts' admiration of - and the talent they want to keep around them (he turns out to be a wunderkind when he picks up a violin) and their protectiveness becoming possessive. The big difference is that while Misery plays out as a nightmarish horror, Ladies... is viewed through the prism of innocent romance and lost dreams (the poster's endorsement quotes from reviews speak volumes). Essentially, this film could be like seeing the scenario through the eyes of Annie Wilkes rather than Paul Sheldon. When they help him recover or ravel to town to buy him Harris Tweed suits, there's a charming warmth. Even the more glaringly inappropriate moments where Judi's character attempts to stroke his hair as he sleeps or later recovers a lock of his hair to keep for herself seem somehow as heartbreaking as it is creepy. And now I've seen the Misery parallels, it's replaying as a very different film in my head. It's also interesting to consider existing double-standards, and the outrage and controversy today's audience might feel were genders reversed. If anything further were needed, the film's main older man is David Warner whose name, I'm slightly ashamed to say I mainly associate with two of his horror roles: the ill-fated photographer in The Omen and Sidney's avuncular drama teacher in Scream 2. I found him intriguing in the latter role in particular,  because it was a small role but he had such gravitas that every line he spoke felt important. Ladies... sees him playing a distrusting moustachioed doctor with just a hint of the old letch when it comes to the pretty young woman, and the investigative instinct of Jennings, his character from The Omen. Once again he's very enjoyable and it's reminded me I'd like to check out more of his work. There are oodles of "oh, it's him from..." moments to anyone who's watched British dramas or sitcoms. Even Geoffrey "The Crowman" Bayldon is in there. At a couple of points I thought I saw Bill Owen, but turns out it was another character actor with similar features. The Cornish location work is very attractive and, combined with the winning cast and gentle story make this ideal weekend matinée material, though mileage will vary on how satisfied one feels as the credits roll.</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?