Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont

We seem to share quite a few tastes Daisyanswerdo I've always thought the PL is so true to life, the disastrous outings and the keenly anticipated parties where you end up stuck with the local bore, interspersed with general mayhem caused by children. I must have a go at Elizabeth. My mother was sometimes very good at making books sound like the last thing you would ever want to read and I nearly missed out on several that have become favourites since.

Just looked at your profile Deedaa - it says you've just re-read The Diary of a Provincial Lady - another favourite. There's also The P L in Wartime, Goes Further, and In America. Similar sort of self-deprecating humour as E von Arnim.

That could have been written by me Deedaa about my mother and Elizabeth von Arnim. After my mother died, I read her copy of Elizabeth and her German Garden, and began to understand why she nagged me. I read more and have now got five of her books. Do try them.

This was a lovely film wasn't it? (My husband watched the last half hour and didn't get it at all) I've not seen The Enchanted April but my mother always adored Elizabeth von Arnim's books and used to nag me to read them. Perhaps I really should put them on my reading list.

I saw this film too, and enjoyed it very much. A few things jarred, like the waitress calling Mrs P 'Ma'am' as if she were the Queen, and the different pronunciations of 'Palfrey', even from members of the family. I also enjoyed 'The Enchanted April'. Has anyone else read books by Elizabeth von Arnim, who wrote the book?

I've read the book. Not seen the film

Enjoyed Mrs Palfrey when I saw it a couple of years ago, and was delighted to see it re-appear last week. I'd spotted it in my weekly trawl of Radio Times, and planned my Saturday around it! A gentle but poignant film with great acting cameos. 'Tea with Mussolini' is another favourite (again with superb actors including Dame Judi in a role diametrically opposed to her role in SkyFall!)

Have you seen 'Enchanted April'? Another film in the same genre, and a beautiful Italian setting, with Joan Plowright (+ Miranda Richardson and Alfred Molina et al).

It is often said there are no good roles for 'older' actresses, but Joan Plowright must have forged a path, now so ably followed by Judi Dench and the Grande Dame Maggie Smith. Meryl Streep also gets better and better with 'age'.

As I'm 'Learning to Blog' (see Learning forum!!) I must revisit 'Julie and Julia'

Only had time to watch the first half hour but I've got it recorded for later

Mrs Palfrey- I too watched it some time ago but when I saw it was on yesterday got all set up and did ironing while watching - then I overloaded the circuit and blew it - so missed the end of the film. Another one I liked with Joan Plowright was ' Tea with Mussolini'.
Oh loves black and white films and if we notice one on in the afternoon have been known to down tools and have a break!!

Reflections; a film starring Gabriel Byrne; The Shutter Falls..a short film on the beeb; The Last Winter..a film that used to be shown a lot on the telly; annoyingly didn't record it at the time. The David Buck series of Mystery and Imagination, again on the beeb. All programmes/ films I would give anything to see again.

There are often gems on tv that make a profound impression on you in terms of their content and the quality of the acting - Alan Bennett's "A Question of Attribution" about the spy Anthony Blunt, who was Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures when he eventually admitted to his treason, is fascinating and one I could watch and watch - it has a permanent place on my hard drive. I loved the film "Dancing at Lughnasa" which had a wonderful cast; Meryl Streep, Kathy Burke, Catherine McCormack (greatly underrated), Michael Gambon and Rees Ifans. Sad, but uplifting at the end. Despite the cast, it wasn't big box office and along with a lot of other good films, it's faded into obscurity now.

It was written by the wonderful Elizabeth Taylor - if you haven't read her lovely novels and short stories, you should try them!

I watched it as well this afternoon, (BBC2?) nanapug. I'd seen it before, but so enjoyed it that I wanted to see it again. Lovely film, indeed.

I saw it some time ago on TV and I thought it was lovely. As you say, a tearjerker. Joan Plowright always superb.