★★★☆☆

My Old Lady just had to be on my rental list. When you see that a movie has Maggie Smith in it, you simply have to put it on your list. I mean, even if your only exposure to her work was Downton Abbey you had to love the Dowager Countess.

Kevin Kline is a reserved, possibly cerebral, kind of actor who is far better at a supporting role than a lead. I know some will hate me for writing that, but he just is. Most of the roles I see him in he plays someone soft spoken prone to thought. That was definitely the case in both this movie and Silverado. Having said that, those of us old enough to have watched The Big Chill when it was new have a special place for the cast members.

I really didn’t know what to expect from Kristin Scott Thomas. Most of the titles in her filmography either were or sound like chick-flicks which is why I’ve never seen them. All in all she did a very believable job.

The Story

Odd doesn’t quite describe My Old Lady. Kevin Kline’s character shows up at the home where Maggie Smith’s and Kristin Scott Thomas’s characters are living because his father died and he has inherited the house. His father had acquired the house and land through some weird French law where you purchase a property well below market rate, pay the current owner, and they get to live in the place until they die or choose to move. Where it gets odd is when Maggie’s character lets him move into a room.

The twisted tale of how Maggie’s character actually knew Kevin Kline’s character as a child gets exposed in fits and spurts, so, to some extent, this is a bit of a chick-flick, but, Maggie does an excellent job of turning it into more of a comedy. My Old Lady may be set in France, but it has English humor reminiscent of the Dowager Countess herself.

For more movie rental ideas please see list one and list two.