 | "Keeping Mum"
It's a bit tricky to review "Keeping Mum" without giving away major plot points, but I'll do my best. Kristin Scott-Thomas is bored vicar's wife, Gloria Goodfellow, in a tiny English village, with a promiscuous teenage daughter and a young son who suffers at the hands of the local school bullies. Her husband Walter (Rowan Atkinson) is oblivious to the problems of the children and the needs of his wife and is more concerned with parish matters, although he's not winning that battle either. Gloria's reaction to her husband's attitude is to indulge in some pretty heavy flirtations with her golf instructor Lance (a fabulous role for much missed Patrick Swayze). Enter innocent-looking housekeeper Grace (Maggie Smith), and suddenly all the family's problems seem, one by one, to vanish, although perhaps not in the manner they would've hoped.
This is an utterly loveable black comedy, with Maggie Smith proving once again why she is one of the best actors in Britain today. Rowan Atkinson plays the fool like a pro (which of course he is) but is surprisingly touching in the more tender moments of the film. Scott-Thomas plays the harassed Gloria to perfection, and Swayze is a deliciously slimy villain. Where I saw the movie there were plenty of moments that had the entire audience gasping or laughing out loud as one, which is a pretty satisfactory outcome for any film. The hugely sympathetic characters and involving storyline keep you entertained to the last. Writer/director Niall Johnson deserves high praise as he manages to keep us cheering for the characters even when they are performing quite awful acts! I'm not sure about the track that runs over the end titles though. It includes Rowan Atkinson reciting a particularly racy passage from the Bible, which worked wonderfully in the film, but just doesn't cut it when included in some half-baked pop tune. No matter, the piece is a joyful romp - another gem of British comedy. |
# posted by Heather @ 7:27 PM. e-mail this to a friend -
