What better way to start the week than a trio of high-octane performances and some well-honed theatrical dialogue from a Broadway master? My Old Lady has them all. Writer (and, here, director) Israel Horovitz belongs to that generation of playwrights who ripped the sugar-coating off Broadway in the 1960s, most notably with The Indian Wants the Bronx which launched the careers of not one but two great actors: the late John Cazale and Al Pacino.
Here, he is on mellower ground with the story of a penniless writer who inherits a Paris flat and plans to solve his financial problems with a quick sale, only to find himself saddled with a tenant-for-life in the shape of the indomitable Mathilde Girard. Great set up: now add spice in the form of Kevin Kline as the writer, Kristin Scott Thomas as Mme Girard’s waspish daughter and, to complete the seasoning, Dame Maggie Smith giving it her imperious all as the old lady herself. It may not be much concerned with changing the world, but My Old Lady – adapted by Horovitz from his own play – knows exactly what it is doing when it comes to delivering deft dialogue and cherishable performances.
My Old Lady, Curzon Chelsea, Mon Oct 13, 6.30pm; also Wed Oct 15, Curzon Mayfair, 6.15pm, bfi.org.uk/lff
Browse all London Film Festival reviews
