Mrs Palfrey at The Claremont
Cineville | Release Date: November 25, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
5
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
A true gem: perhaps the most thoroughly charming, and completely satisfying, independent film I've seen in the past two or three years. Read full review
100
Boston GlobeTy Burr
It's an altogether satisfying drama -- the sort of movie some people complain they don't make anymore. So here it is; what's your excuse? Read full review
88
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Directed with charming restraint by the acclaimed American producer Dan Ireland, the film is a quiet triumph for Dame Joan. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
Plowright's performance as a genteel widow in Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont is a small-scale gem, deeply felt without being in the least bit showy. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The details are what matters, and thanks to a cast of all-star British elders and a mischievous sense of humor, the filmmakers bring those details to vivid life. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
Newcomer Friend, a Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike who can also be seen in small roles in "The Libertine" and "Pride & Prejudice," has a winning manner, but Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont is a terrific, long-overdue vehicle for Lady Olivier. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
The movie pulls off the trick of blurring the distinctions between romantic and platonic attractions across the generations. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The movie is a delight, in ways both expected and rare. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
The casting, at least, is magical. Plowright shows both her character's strength and her heartbreaking vulnerability, sometimes at once. Read full review
70
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
This earnest, well-observed weepy has more depth than its genteel trappings might imply. Read full review
70
VarietyLael Loewenstein
A low-key drama with comedic undertones that will appeal to older auds, arthouse patrons, and Joan Plowright fans. Read full review
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
It's all expectable, it's all enjoyable: British theatrical professionalism at the highest pitch. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Occasionally cloying, but the distinguished British cast (Anna Massey, Robert Lang, Georgina Hale, Millicent Martin) generates considerable gravitas. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
The unabashedly sentimental film is a juicy morsel for the great British actress Dame Joan Plowright, who endows Mrs. Palfrey with stoic charm and decency. Read full review
50
Film ThreatPhil Hall
Watching these old pros elbow their way into the spotlight is the film’s finest surprise, but watching Plowright out-act them all is the ultimate joy. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyTim Grierson
In its well-mannered way, this genteel film delicately keeps its platonic May-December love story from turning creepy. But without the sexual undertones and macabre humor of Hal Ashby's classic, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont is merely a soft, slightly patronizing movie about the poignancy of aging. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
As it is, Mrs. Palfrey seems to suggest the Claremont is located somewhere in the Twilight Zone. Where are the televisions? Where are the chain stores? Where are the immigrants? I see the buildings, but where is England? Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
The cast manages some sweet moments, and Plowright lends a touch of grace and wit to each new indignity or kindness. Yet the whole thing feels programmed; the movie's sense of humor lacks understatement. Read full review
30
Austin ChronicleToddy Burton
While the compelling Plowright competently flexes her well-trained muscle, the film's melodrama too readily evokes a Lifetime Original Movie rather than subtle sentiment. Read full review
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