What happens when you get four of the finest actresses of their generation together, talking about their lives and careers? The answer is Roger Michell’s latest film, a documentary entitled Nothing Like a Dame (also alternatively known as Tea with the Dames) that is nothing short of an exhilarating, hilarious and irreverent look into the private affairs of four individuals who can be considered nothing less than absolute treasures, iconoclastic and eccentric women who have broken boundaries and set themselves up to be paragons of success in both their careers and as admirable role models for any young, burgeoning performer. Perhaps not as innovative as other documentaries, Michell makes a memorable one that thrives on its simplicity as well as its delicate, but never condescending, approach to telling the stories of four icons of stage and screen, resulting in one of the year’s most tremendously entertaining and heartfelt films, and one that will doubtlessly linger on in the mind of the viewer, who will find themselves reveling in this wonderful film.

The film is focused on four women – Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Eileen Atkins and Dame Joan Plowright, who have a great deal in common. They are all legendary performers who are the definition of brilliance in the art of performance, as well as starting out on stage and moving to film and television, where they had their most significant success. For their contributions to the dramatic arts, each of them received Damehoods, as indicated by the title of the film. However, more than anything else, they share a common friendship and occasionally travel to Plowright’s countryside home, where they spend time reminiscing over tea and the occasional glass of champagne. As the introductory text to this film notes, Michell intended to record one of these visits, and using the raw footage captured over a single day, he creates this film. The audience is thus given unfettered access into the lives of four special individuals, being able to see them out of character, away from the confines of the stage or screen, and simply being themselves, looking back on their careers and sharing memories, recounting their professional successes and disclosing their personal thoughts and feelings in this open, refreshingly honest film.

If this sounds overly simple and unfurnished, understand this: it absolutely is. Nothing Like a Dame is as straightforward as they come, and it could be seen as twee and reductive, but it works. This is a film that could be extremely divisive – some may consider the idea of four octogenarians sitting together and talking all day in a garden horribly dull, but I personally found it absolutely extraordinary. Considering my penchant for every one of these actresses, adoring them both as performers and as individuals based on their well-publicized, but not exploited, public personas, I was doubtlessly going to adore this film. This was a film very much within my wheelhouse, and it is one that will surely delight fans of these women, as well as those with any interest in learning about the art of acting, because if anyone can offer insights into the industry, it is this quartet of seasoned veterans, each of which has been fully involved in the industry for over half a century. It may be an overly simple film, and it may not be particularly exciting based on its synopsis, but I can assure you that one isn’t likely to find a film nearly as riveting as this, because what it lacks in innovation it makes up for in pure heart and soul, and an undeniably genuine sense of authenticity.

Nothing Like a Dame captivated me even before the film even started – the idea of seeing these four actresses together, sharing memories, was an opportunity I would never pass up. I expected nothing short of a transcendent experience, and these dames did not disappoint. Despite, as the synopsis of this film states, having a combined age of over 300, they are still as youthful in spirit and vivacious as ever, and they manage to charm the audience, as well as each other, through their extraordinary attentiveness and exceptional wit. Dame Joan Plowright, despite having lost her eyesight, retains such a wonderful sense of humor, and being the oldest of the quartet, she is almost matronly compared to the others. Her personal connection to the home is clearly shown, and considering much of this film revolves around memories of the actresses’ interactions with the great Laurence Olivier, who was Plowright’s longtime romantic companion, Plowright manages to be the key figure connecting these women, both physically (it is her cottage that serves to be the location of this film), as well as metaphorically. Dame Eileen Atkins, while perhaps slightly underused, is charming, and as the most under-heralded members of the quartet, seeing her perspective is quite fascinating. Obviously, this film is most intent on looking at Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith, who have evolved to being folkloric icons of acting, and as the very definition of sophistication in performance, seeing them together was quite endearing. Nothing Like a Dame is great because of its ability to weave the stories of these performers together, but it is elevated by the palpable sense of friendship present throughout. These ladies are genuinely fond of each other, and their strong bond is what drives this film. I remain steadfast in my belief that this film would not have been nearly as successful if the subjects were not genuinely good friends, because anyone can get four actresses around a table – very few can get such great friends to do the same.

For such a simple film, Nothing Like a Dame is a film about a great many important themes, and there is a multitude of concepts that this film meditates on, albeit not in a way that is heavy-handed, but rather affectionately. Despite being a film driven by the idea of these dames discussing their careers, it veers off into the territory of more personal subjects, with honest depictions of their personal lives being the crux of this film. The actresses look at their loves and their losses, as well as thinking about mortality (quite a bittersweet discussion, but one handled with only the fondest humor, which is quite relieving and subversively funny). The camera records the dames reflecting on their career, sharing their memories in a way that extends far beyond this film being an archetypal documentary about well-beloved public figures. The importance of memory and the way in which this film frames these actresses and their experiences is extraordinary, and one has never seen these performers being quite so honest. It is an earnest, simple approach, but one with profound resonance and unquestionable authenticity. There is a certain joy that can be derived from the discussions these actresses have, comparing their experiences and looking at the past as something to be adored and embraced. In only 80 minutes, these four women are able to come very close to capturing the essence of existence, which is an extraordinary achievement on their part, and a hyperbolic (but truthful) one on mine.

I adored Nothing Like a Dame, and it stands as one of my favorite films of the year so far. The generosity these actresses show in allowing the cameras into their intimate discussion results in an astonishing and irreverent documentary about four iconoclastic performers simply sharing their experiences, but mostly demonstrating their strong friendship that has stood the test of time. It is a charming film and one that will please anyone with even a faint interest in being given the opportunity to be privy to intimate but insightful discussions from a set of astonishing individuals. There is a certain warmth that goes entirely unchallenged throughout this film, and I found myself moved by this sweet, resonant film. Nothing Like a Dame is not an innovative film, nor is it an essential one – but it is an important one because it gathers some true legends and allows them to reflect on ideas that will resonate with anyone, regardless of their background. Thoughtful, mischevious and poignant, Nothing Like a Dame is a masterful achievement, and something truly special.