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I was amazed to see our local Katoomba cinema showing a movie that wasn't an Action or rom com box office cash ringer so of course we trotted off to Tea With the Dames, how could we resist? Anyone who loves great acting on stage or film and intelligent conversation should enjoy this documentary and rare look at actors of this caliber. The sort of afternoon tea I'd include on my wish list of when I get to heaven if there is such a place, would include two more Dames Julie Andrews and Dame Elizabeth Taylor. Four great ladies of the stage and obviously great friends reminiscing about life, love and performances that span over 6 decades and thankfully have been preserved forever as shown in the many fascinating clips and interspersed with the humorous sometimes revealing conversation we are invited to be part of. Young performers should see it as it shows fame in film or theatre has to be earned , it's not all awards and acclaim and most importantly it's much more than just being pretty or handsome and the flavour of the month which can turn bitter unless the talent is real and the dedication to adapt and change with the times , whatever medium stage ,film or television is permanent.

This wasn't a "movie" as such but it was an enjoyable outing. Slow moving, at times, but it was kind of like hanging with four very interesting seniors. I thoroughly enjoying getting to know them, hearing their take on many modern things while seeing bits of their previous works. They are truly treasures and I'm so thankful that the filmmakers captured them.

Filmmaker Roger Michell gathered four old friends of the British stage and world film for a chat about their lives, careers, and lessons learned. He prompts them a bit from off camera, and they tease and support one another. The tone is pleasant, relaxed, occasionally serious, but unhurried and not often terribly revelatory, it must be admitted.

What might surprise most viewers are the forgivable glimpses of vulnerability: not just Plowright's physical infirmities, but the actresses' general admissions of fright on the boards and on camera, and memories of regrets and bad judgments.

Other reviews have complained about the archival footage -- but I found most of it delightful, especially since we Americans have rarely seen these jewels on stage, particularly early in their careers. Most of us probably can picture Dench or Smith only as regal elders in "Downton Abbey," or the James Bond and Harry Potter franchises. These women were never glamorous beauties in her youth, but they were all undeniably magnetic.

The clips are all mostly very short, anyway, save for some home-movie footage of an early outdoor production that the filmmakers probably linger over to savor Dench's surprise and pleasure at seeing ancient footage of herself as a very young thespian.

The complaints about time devoted to Olivier are unwarranted, as well, since all these women worked with him on stage and under his direction. He was, after all, artistic director of the National Theatre when these actresses were in their board-treading primes ... and he was married to Plowright for nearly three decades. We do see footage and discussion of several other husbands, but the average American would not know them.

My complaints center not so much on anything that's in the film, but all that's not. So much more could have been addressed, and I would have loved to see more clips of their early stage and film work. But one must respect the privacy of venerable ladies, and to have pressed several of them any further would likely have taxed their stores of energy as well as patience.

The film climaxes with the subjects' answers to the question of what advice they would have given their younger selves, which is hilarious and touching. Don't miss the final tongue-twister the filmmakers give the quartet, which Dench manages, Plowright manages, Atkins NAILS, and Smith utterly and hilariously blows, probably because she decided it's not worth the trouble.

Four grand Dames of England, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright, and Eileen Atkins get together and reminisce at Plowright's country home. I would say the wonderful archival film snippets of some of their performances on stage and screen would be enough for the price of admission here. But we get a lot more than that as these superb actresses talk about their surprising self-doubts, anxieties before they perform, aging, marriages, reviewers, and swap inside stories of their interactions with fellow performers and directors.

I felt this documentary got off to a rather disjointed start but went more smoothly as it progressed. Some of the humor made me laugh out loud such as when Dench had to call the paramedics for a bee sting on her backside. Her description was hilarious of the very young EMT tech who asked her if she had a carer (in America would be a home aide) which made her furious and she told him to "f-off".

Overall, this film had its awkward moments and the technique of the talented director Roger Michell asking the four women from the wings to comment on a new topic didn't work very well, in my opinion. But just to sit in and eavesdrop on this get-together of four master artists was a real pleasure.

I created an account specifically to review this film. It was such an absolute delight to watch that I was so disappointed when it ended. I could have listened to these four wonderful women exchange their stories for hours, and I loved the relaxed atmosphere of filming and seeing their interaction with everyone around them. Kudos to Roger Michell for allowing it to be filmed organically, I haven't been so entertained in a long time.

Wonderful concept. We are so blessed and proud to have 4 acting Dames who have 70 year long illustrious careers, and what is more they know each other and are friends. Not a lot really happens, you see some old images and footage that you will not have seen before. It isn't very structured it is just a capturing of an informal conversation between them. However, their friendship shines through and it is a joy and makes you proud to watch. They do deliver some nuggets of life lessons that they have learned along the way but mostly it is very light and funny.

The film was exquisite. So rich in content, though there was no script. The dames were not disappointing and spoke candidly of their past experiences. At times, it touched on a bit of sadness due to the way things have led on, but in the end, it's about these marvellous women sharing their life with us.

It was a very cute concept: get four legendary actresses who have been honored as Dames and film them having tea and chatting like old friends. And since three of the four actresses were in the 1999 film Tea with Mussolini, the title made sense. However, at first glance, I felt Tea with the Dames was a bit distracted and haphazard. We're not getting to know these ladies at all! I thought. However, the more the documentary continued, the more I realized that by letting them just talk with very few prompts, we were getting to know them.

We got to see how Maggie Smith uses charm and coy femininity to get what she wants. When veiled in humor, she could say what she really wanted. "Did they tell you how old we all are?" she asked the director, because she wanted to be done for the day. In another scene, she didn't want to talk about the topic anymore, and she charmingly killed two birds with one stone by criticizing the constant presence of the nearby photographer.

Judi Dench also had a carefully constructed persona: dainty, sweet, and innocent. "How rude!" she exclaimed when the other ladies joked that she'd stolen all the good film parts for older women. With feminine trust, she agreed to try a tongue twister thought up by the director, on the condition that he wouldn't ask anyone else to do it (which he did). But, in a moment she requested director Roger Michell cut from the final print (which he didn't), she shared a story in which she let loose her temper.

Eileen Atkins was anxious to fit in and feel like "one of the girls", but no one paid attention to her. While Maggie and Judi repeatedly took the reins of the conversation, Michell cut to closeups of the other ladies to try and be fair. Eileen was always actively listening and leaning forward in her chair with a smile, but she was still left out. When she would throw out an intro to a story, she received no reaction, but knowing that the camera was still on her, she had to just grin and bear it.

Joan Plowright, unfortunately without her sight and with a hearing aid that went on the fritz during one scene, seemed very resigned that the only reason anyone was interested in what she had to say was because she was married to Laurence Olivier. All her stories included him because she knew it was expected. Her identity will forever remain a mystery, since all it's ever been was Mrs. Laurence Olivier.

There was an incredibly awkward moment when Michell asked the ladies to talk about what it was like to work with their husbands. Silence fell upon them, until finally Maggie Smith broke it with a rehearsed joke: "Which one?" Everyone laughed, and the distraction bought them time before they felt forced to answer. Joan Plowright was next, admitting that her husband was obviously the most difficult. A knowing nod followed, then more silence. Judi Dench obviously didn't want to talk about her late husband, as she stalled and stalled and looked away from the camera. Eileen Atkins would have shared more, but when nobody paid attention to her after her first sentence, she didn't continue. As I always say, even the smallest incident is representative of the whole. This one brief scene illustrated the heart of everyone's character.

I'll never, ever understand director Michell's active choice to film the entire movie with a handheld camera. This is a documentary featuring women in their 80s and 90s, so it's safe to assume the target audience would be either in that age range or slightly younger. The most common complaint of old people is dizziness - so why would you actively shake and move the camera for ninety minutes? My mom is in her sixties and suffers from vertigo, and she was terribly disappointed that she had to "watch" this entire film with her eyes closed. It was making her sick so she turned her chair around and just listened. Had he used a simple tripod, countless more people could have enjoyed this documentary.

I'll also never understand why, at the end of the film, Michell featured a montage of all four women receiving awards and waving on the red carpet, set to the music of "Honkytonk Women." These are four women honored by Queen Elizabeth - and he picked a Rolling Stones funky tune to end their tea session?

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie will not be your friend. The entire movie is filmed with a handheld camera, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

This was brilliant, entertaining, witty and original. Such a line-up of brilliant actresses (yes the female term of actor) who can keep us watching while they chat over afternoon tea. A fine combination of ladies who have received the title Dame in England in recognition of their talent and long term careers in theatre and film. A delight.

"Apart from strewing inviting footage and old photos relative to specific topics, mostly in the subjects' salad days, and occasionally, shots of the picturesque location, to ginger up the chipper if unrelieved tittle-tattle, the film has little else to offer in terms of cinematic flourishes, solely banking on the natural charisma of the four national treasures, Smith's first-class comic timing, Dench's spry verve, Atkins' disarming modesty and Plowright's congenital amicability, respectively. "

read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks

The English documentary Tea with the Dames (2018) was directed by Roger Michell.

It stars Dame Eileen Atkins, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Joan Plowright, and Dame Maggie Smith. These four friends have gotten together on occasion over the span of may years. Finally they decided--or were convinced--that a documentary would involve audiences in their lives and thoughts.

All of these women have had fabulous careers in theater, cinema, and TV. Now, in their 80's, they are retired or semi-retired. (Dame Joan is blind, so she formally announced her retirement.) However, they still are as intelligent and witty as ever. And, of course, they know how to work with a camera crew.

The result of this filming is pure magic. It opens a window into what inspired these actors so that they could inspire us. I've seen other documentaries of people talking with each other in somewhat informal situations, but I've never seen a movie like this.

We saw this film in Rochester's excellent Little Theatre. It will work very well on the small screen. The movie carries a strong IMDb rating of 7.6, and I would say it's even better than that. Don't miss it!

Personal P.S. One of the topics discussed by the four women is the difficulty of playing the role of Cleopatra in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. All of them say that they didn't have the courage to play the role. One of them says to Maggie Smith, "Well, you played it." She answers, "Yes, but in Canada."

Obviously all four of them meant the English theater. Apparently, it's obvious to them that playing Cleopatra for Canadian audiences isn't quite the same.

That may or may not be true, but in 1976 we saw Maggie Smith as Cleopatra at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada, and she was magnificent. It's one of those performances that you never forget. Dame Maggie spent four seasons in Stratford (1976 - 1980) and everything she touched turned into gold. She was adored by Canadian and U.S. lovers of great acting in great plays. So, in "Tea with the Dames," her Canadian work sounds trivial. In real life it was anything but trivial. She is still my favorite actor of all time.

I just happened upon this. How wonderful and interesting, to glimpse into the worlds of such great women. The combination of youthful footage and their older selves chatting. Thank you ladies.

So funny, so witty, so much excellence from this ladies. Absolutely on point, smart, funny. And makes you think about life - even for us mere mortals. Just wondering why so much talk about L. Olivier had to be included...a wee bit of a patriarcal angle maybe, that sounded easy and boring considering the women power channeling of the film.

Not an artful documentary but an informative one that looks at four great British actresses' career. I'm not sure how much we actually learn about their career but of how they love each other.

A rare opportunity to hear from four great British actresses. Fun and enlightening stories.

This is a film about four actress (who are now Dames) catching up together to share stories, have tea, share memories and most importantly... laugh. Our Dames are: * Judi Dench * Elieen Atkins * Joan Plowright & * Maggie Smith

From the beginning of the film it's obvious our leading ladies have a strong friendship and history with one another. Their catch up appears to occur on a regular basis, but this time our Dames have allowed cameras, stage and lighting crew to deliver a taste of the type of conversations that occurs whenever they are united. Needless to say, Tea With Dames feels more like a Documentary than a motion picture feature.

Some of the topics discussed involve the Dames talking about their early career on stage and the many objections and negativity they encountered along the way. Our Dames also reflect on highlights of the past and present, plus sharing discussions about their loved ones and the advice they wish they told themselves at the beginning of their acting career.

I absolutely love this idea and concept. A group of Dames talking around the table doesn't sound like a huge budget is required to achieve this documentary and that's why I love it. Our Dames are never boring and I found there are plenty of topics that are discussed, revealing things that I never knew about the actresses.

However, there are sadly two elements that do disappoint me. Firstly is some of the camera work done to capture the Dames during the stories and deep discussion is sometimes captured with a shaky camera and it's obvious the filming crew struggled to keep up with the conversation, missing key expressions from our leads. Another slight disappointment is that our Dames are given questions during the film and documentary (possibly by the director) which then puts the Dames on a path of a topic or lengthy discussion. The problem with this is that every time a crew members questions our Dames from behind the camera, it reminds the audience that our Dames are not alone and they are in fact are surrounded by people. It's a minor detail, but it simply ruins the vibe, illusion and the concept of the film.

Overall, this is a documentary which is rather simple and I love the idea. Our Dames provide fantastic insight from their past and their friendship with one another. There's never a dull moment, but our Dames are not always in the camera frame and the questioning throughout reminds us that this is a film, taking away from the concept. I feel our Dames could carry on a deep discussion without any assistance- after all they do it regularly, right? Either way, it's a touching documentary.

8.4/10 Walkden Entertainment

I give this supremely disappointing effort four stars only, one for each of the beautiful, talented, bright and shining ladies this exercise in boredom is purportedly about. But no stars for anything else.

How anyone could spend two days with these four women and come out with a film that has about 10 interesting minutes if that, no insights, no revelations, waaay too many clips of their old performances that are not what any of us are there to see, and precious little humor is beyond me. Every time an interesting topic of conversation is begun, it ends abruptly.

I wish someone else had been in charge of those two days. These glorious ladies deserved better.

For anyone who truly loves theatre, movies, TV and the actors that bring such magic to all these mediums, you must see this documentary (for those from Canada, it is currently for rent, On Demand, through Bell Aliant). There are not enough accolades to properly honour these women's lives and careers and just to travel with them through these 80 minutes is a privilege. Must see. If you haven't already guessed, I rate this documentary a 10 (must see) out of 10. {Documentary}

Just watched this movie in a private presentation this morning and I have laughed throughout the movie. Such a gem and I do hope that a few art house cinemas will give it a chance to make their guests laugh at this funny quartet of amazing actresses we came to love. By Guido Baechler - Jeridoo Universe

Many wonderful moments that they shared. They didn't drink tea at all, but water and then champagne. Such great memories and laughs for us to enjoy. Very rich.

That would have been a more accurate title for this disappointing film. There's way too much talk about how these women related to Olivier than there is about the stellar lives and careers of these four beautiful women. I'm sure each of their lives doesn't need the backdrop of a man to be supremely interesting. This film needs way more than the enervating conversation we get.

It would have been more revealing and much more interesting. They were great to see together and had terrific careers but they needed to let loose and reveal more. They had to many short statements on interesting topics.