The true story of playwright Alan Bennett’s difficult relationship with the eccentric homeless woman who eventually ended up living in his drive for 15 years. A well-known fixture is the high-class street Bennett moved to in Camden Mary Shepherd lived in her van moving up and down the road but finally parked, and lived, in Bennett’s driveway when it looked as if she was going to permanently moved on by the council and authorities. Over the years Bennett despite not having what could be deemed a friendship with Mary finds more about her interesting and varied life.

It’s almost as if fate granted Alan Bennett Mary Shepherd. For a gentle comedic writer whose meat and drink was the eccentricities of people and not the situation it was as if fate was challenging him. Eventually Bennett wrote about his squatter, for want of a better word, and a successful novella and then play, starring Maggie Smith, was created. Naturally the next step was to turn to the cinema. Often this is not always a recipe for success but in this instance this was not the case. The Lady in the Van is an unrivalled success and for those that like the observational and eccentric humour of Bennett this will be a joy.

Splitting Alan Bennett into two characters, one the writer and the house owner works brilliantly in the film allowing Bennett, who by his own admission is timid and spent much time in his own company, to show his inner monologue and turmoil over the situation to comic effect.

Even better are the moments when liberties and stretching of the truth are taken they are clearly noted Bennett ‘the writer’ which is comedically very effective indeed.

Another great decision from the film-makers was to cast Maggie Smith allowing her to reprise her role as Mary Shepherd. It is a triumph of acting and an amazingly believable performance of an old, annoying, eccentric character than in lesser hands could end up unsympathetic or worse pantomime-like. Great actors in perfect roles shine out like a blinding light in the often dull world of film-making.

Alex Jennings does a great job of playing Bennett, probably the most impersonated playwright in the history of the English language, which actually makes the performance all the more impressive because it easily could have slipped down the route of ‘Who Do You Do?’ from the 1970s.

With great support from stalwart British acting, France De La Tour as Vaughn Williams widow, Roger Allam and Deborah Findlay amongst others it appears the cast of Bennett’s The History Boys turn up in one role or another, albeit a cameo or larger supporting role.
It goes without saying there are is a section of cinema goers who would find this film deadly dull but as with most of Bennett’s writing the eccentricities of characters and the painful exposure of people’s weaknesses and peccadillos are what drive the story forward and making simultaneously both funny, sad and horrifying in greater or lesser degrees.