I'm willing to bet that "My Old Lady" was not the original title, but something tagged on by a producer or distributor. I wished they had chosen one that suited the mood of this film...which is much darker/tragic than "My Old Lady" would suggest. Kevin inherits a Paris apartment and is forced to live with Dame Maggie because a contract says she can live there until she dies. Kristin plays her uptight, suspicious daughter. Doesn't it sound like they're going to get into much ribaldry and hijinks? Aren't you expecting the snooty, sarcastic bon mots to fly out of Dame Maggie's mouth? Yeah. That does not happen. This movie is most definitely a drama about three tortured souls with a secret shared history. Dame Maggie is great in everything she does. Kevin Kline has solid dramatic moments that show the depth of his range. But Kristin Scott Thomas' character is poorly written and the least flushed out (not her fault). Then oddly, it felt like the screenwriter gave up in the last 10 minutes of the film, and just tacked on an ending. Heavy conflict between all of them for 90% of the movie, then, within minutes, they inexplicably resolve their differences, and everything is quickly wrapped up, and they all live happily ever after. These three magnificent actors have all done stellar work in much better films. There were some good moments. But they deserved a better screenplay.
Review of My Old Lady
