Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- rueful
- intimate
- rainy day
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics found the film an uneven stage adaptation whose emotional and comic impact depends heavily on the capable chemistry of Kevin Kline and Maggie Smith.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mathias expects his father's Paris mansion to rescue him financially, but the viager life lease leaves him responsible for Mathilde's pension and unable to sell freely.
Mathias's cynical remarks and verbal carelessness coexist with revelations about his father's relationships and the damaged lives surrounding the house.
The Marais mansion binds Mathias, Mathilde, and Chloé through the life lease, old loyalties, and unresolved family secrets.
Much of the conflict unfolds inside the inherited Marais house, where rooms, furnishings, and the surrounding historic neighborhood carry family memory.
Films like My Old Lady, and why
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Shared bittersweet dramedy, prickly intergenerational relationships, and emotionally guarded characters in a European setting.
Enough Said
Shared adult romantic drama, witty dialogue, unresolved family histories, and strong performances by veteran actors.
Before Sunset
Shared Parisian setting, literary conversation, romantic tension, and reflective relationship drama.
August: Osage County
Shared theatrical chamber-drama sensibility, family secrets, and a tonal blend of comedy with emotional pain.
Movie Details
- Director
- Israel Horovitz
- Release Date
- 2014-09-09
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (290)
Cast
- Maggie Smith
- Kevin Kline
- Kristin Scott Thomas
- Dominique Pinon
- Michael Burstin
- Elie Wajeman
- Noémie Lvovsky
- Stéphane De Groodt
- Stéphane Freiss
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Darkroom, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is My Old Lady about?
- A financially desperate New Yorker inherits a Paris mansion only to discover that its elderly occupant and a lifetime of family secrets are part of the deal.
- What is My Old Lady like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Old Lady as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is My Old Lady violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in My Old Lady.
- What did critics think of My Old Lady?
- Critics found the film an uneven stage adaptation whose emotional and comic impact depends heavily on the capable chemistry of Kevin Kline and Maggie Smith.
- Which films are like My Old Lady?
- Films with a similar feel include The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Enough Said, Before Sunset, and August: Osage County.
- How long is My Old Lady?
- My Old Lady runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch My Old Lady?
- In United States, My Old Lady streams on Amazon Prime Video, Darkroom, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
