Sisters Janet (Maggie Smith), a widow, and Ursula (Judi Dench), a spinster, live together in a grand old house in coastal Cornwall in the 1930s. They have grown used to their daily routine as old women and to having the only surprises in their lives be changes in the weather. They are taken care of by a no-nonsense housekeeper, Dorcas (Miriam Margolyes).

One morning after a nasty storm, they spot a young man on the beach. His ankle has been badly injured, and he has to rest from his unspecified ordeal in the water. Ursula, who sees him first, takes a real fancy to the handsome young man and learns that he is Polish. His name is Andrea (Daniel Bruhl).

Now the two sisters have a project to keep them busy. Ursula tries to teach him English and swoons every time he smiles at her. When he hears Janet grinding away at the piano, Andrea puts his hands over his ears. It turns out that he is a very talented violinist and when a local fiddler brings an instrument, the young man brings tears to their eyes with his virtuoso playing.

Based on a story by William J. Locke, the screenplay by writer and director Charles Dance is filled with many lovely moments in the slowly evolving relationship between Andrea, the sisters, and an expanding circle of people in the community. He wins the approval of the villagers, mostly fishermen, when he plays a frolicsome piece at a harvest celebration. Olga (Natascha McElhone), a German woman who is on a vacation in the area, also takes an interest in Andrea. Her brother is a famous violinist, and she's sure that he would be very impressed with this young man if he could only hear him play.

The lonely village doctor (David Warner) tries unsuccessfully to get into the good graces of Olga while she is outside painting a beautiful countryside scene. Later he spots Andrea at her cottage and spreads some bad news about the foreigner. But in the end, it is the universal language of music that crosses all barriers, soothes the furrowed brow. and wipes away the fantasies that Ursula has created in her mind.

This is the kind of movie that softly and tenderly calls us to reflect upon the strange and often magical ways outsiders have breezed into our lives and changed them in small but important ways. The yearning of Ursula and the desire that is mapped in Andrea's violin playing come together in a very satisfying and pleasing confluence. Charles Dance's debut feature is a delightful experience that impresses with its understated charm.


DVD includes the featurette "Ladies in Lavender: A Fairy Tale."