Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

A true gem: perhaps the most thoroughly charming, and completely satisfying, independent film I've seen in the past two or three years.

Boston Globe Ty 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?

TV Guide Ken Fox

Directed with charming restraint by the acclaimed American producer Dan Ireland, the film is a quiet triumph for Dame Joan.

Christian Science Monitor Peter 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.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk 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.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

The movie pulls off the trick of blurring the distinctions between romantic and platonic attractions across the generations.

New York Post Lou 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.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The movie is a delight, in ways both expected and rare.

San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein

The casting, at least, is magical. Plowright shows both her character's strength and her heartbreaking vulnerability, sometimes at once.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Occasionally cloying, but the distinguished British cast (Anna Massey, Robert Lang, Georgina Hale, Millicent Martin) generates considerable gravitas.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

It's all expectable, it's all enjoyable: British theatrical professionalism at the highest pitch.

Village Voice Mark Holcomb

This earnest, well-observed weepy has more depth than its genteel trappings might imply.

Variety Lael Loewenstein

A low-key drama with comedic undertones that will appeal to older auds, arthouse patrons, and Joan Plowright fans.

The New York Times Stephen 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.

Chicago Tribune Michael 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.

Los Angeles Times Carina 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?

LA Weekly Tim 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.

Film Threat Phil 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.

Austin Chronicle Toddy 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.