My Old Lady *** (PG-13) St. Louis native Kevin Kline stars in this pleasant little dramedy that should appeal mainly to older members of the audience. He’s an American academic who inherits an apartment in Paris from his estranged father. It’s occupied by a mother (Maggie Smith) and daughter (Kristin Scott Thomas) who live there under a unique provision in French law that keeps Kline from evicting them. That’s particularly unfortunate for him, since he’s otherwise homeless and flat broke, due to certain shortcomings that have burned too many bridges on the west side of the Atlantic.
The trio starts testily sharing the abode, as assorted past and current issues swirl among them, while each side tries various, often amusing, methods of ousting the other. The script is loaded with more emotional content than its subtle execution seems to present. Some of what happens is fairly predictable, but these three stars make it work quite nicely, with gracefully understated performances befitting their drawn characters and the setting. Any time a trio like this can work together under a writer/director like Israel Horovitz, who obviously appreciates their skills, the payoff will be a product that best serves any screenplay. (9/19/14)
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