The movie
Allelujah
The story of a geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital threatened with closure. But there is so much more than meets the eye.
Length: 99 min
Country: United Kingdom
Language spoken: English
Language subtitles: Dutch
Cast: Judi Dench, Jennifer Saunders, David Bradley
Director: Richard Eyre
Release date: 2022
Description
A warm, moving drama about getting older but not giving up, this star-studded ensemble piece is set in the geriatric ward at The Beth, a small hospital threatened with closure. Dame Judi Dench, Julia McKenzie, David Bradley and Derek Jacobi star as patients, while Jennifer Saunders plays the feisty and caring Sister Gilpin, who puts her heart and soul into caring for the patients at this Yorkshire hospital. Closure threatens because, in Tory England, everything has to be more efficient. Will The Beth be closed down? With ‘Allelujah’, director Richard Eyre (‘The Children Act’, ‘Notes on a Scandal’) celebrates the willpower of patients and honours the deep commitment of healthcare professionals. The film is based on the play by Alan Bennett (‘The Lady in the Van’, ‘The History Boys’).
‘[A] gentle, shrewd ensemble comedy, adapted by screenwriter Heidi Thomas from the much-admired 2018 stage play by Alan Bennett with a new Covid-aware coda bolted on to the end. Richard Eyre directs with a sure hand… [The film] rolls along capably, enlivened by unmistakably Bennettian gags and drolleries which come along every minute or so.’—Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
‘[A] gentle, shrewd ensemble comedy, adapted by screenwriter Heidi Thomas from the much-admired 2018 stage play by Alan Bennett with a new Covid-aware coda bolted on to the end. Richard Eyre directs with a sure hand… [The film] rolls along capably, enlivened by unmistakably Bennettian gags and drolleries which come along every minute or so.’—Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
