Keeping Mum
Velocity / Thinkfilm - Velocity / Thinkfilm
Release date: 2007-02-20
DVD
Director:Niall Johnson
Actors: Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Patrick Swayze, Tamsin Egerton
Black Comedy, Color, Comedies, Comedy, Comedy Video, Eccentric Families, English, Feature, Feature Film-comedy, Infidelity, Irreverent, Macabre, Members of the Clergy, Movie, Nudity, Profanity, Quirky, Serial Killers, Servants and Employers, Sexual Situations
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Keeping Mum
Date undefinedNanny McPhee and Mary Poppins meet Arsenic and Old Lace. Delightful British comedy starring the incomparable Maggie Smith. The former "Trunk Murderer" is out of the asylum and posing as a housekeeper goes to work for her estranged daughter (now a vicar's wife). Grace goes about fixing everything and everyone using a shovel, a frying pan, an iron and her own charming and somewhat twisted logic.
When Gloria discovers what's going on, she says, "You can't go 'round killing people just because you don't approve of them". To which Grace responds -- "That's what my doctors used to say. It was the one point we could never agree on." For some reason, Grace is able to make murder seem like a perfectly logical solution. Once Gloria finds out that Grace is really her mother, chaos ensues and murder becomes a family affair. Don't miss this little lesson on the importance of family values!
Keeping Mum
Date undefinedKeeping Mum is the nice quiet story of Reverend Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) and his totally dysfunctional family. Reverend Goodfellow is absorbed in the community, sacrificing his family for the community. Gloria Goodfellow (Kristin Scott Thomas) is the reverends wife and is totally frustrated that her husband is absorbed in his work; so much that she's taking up golf and has a sleazy golf instructor (Patrick Swayze). Reverend Goodfellow's kids, Holly and Petey are almost cut from the Kelly and Bud Bundy mold; the young tramp and the young dweb whom everyone picks on. To help this family correct itself a housekeeper is brought in (Grace, played by Maggie Smith) with a little bit of a background, she kind of murdered her husband and his lover when she a young twenty something bride.
My Likes:
The characters are so strong in this one and how couldn't they be with this cast. Rowan Atkinson is on top of his game. This is no Mr. Bean or Blackadder. Instead this is more like an older Father Gerald (Four Weddings and a Funeral) who's married and settled in the country. Rowan Atkinson sells the reverend who's forgotten his family for his job so well. Equally of interest is how well we see Reverend Goodfellow learn about his family and religion with humor from Grace.
Maggie Smith is outstanding as Grace. She enables family see their problems and come together so well. Of particular interest is the length's she'll go to keep the family together. After all, it's hard to get over old habits...
Patrick Swayze sells the greasy American golf pro that's trying to take advantage of his female students so well! He uses sexual innuendos, pressure, promises, and a humorous male G-string. It's almost as if he was born for the role.
Kristin Scott Thomas does and excellent job playing the wife who's tired of her husband ignoring her for work. She doesn't want to have an affair, but it seems to be the only way she'll have attention paid to her and maybe get rid of the annoying neighbors and the dog that yaps.
My Dislikes:
The movie is generally very strong. Two slight weaknesses are that Kristin doesn't seem fully engaged in parts of the movie and Petey is sort of cleaned up and left out of the back half. In Kristin's case I interrupt the lack of engagement to be because she's bored with her husband and wants some spice.
The Rating:
A very solid 4 star movie (going toward 5 stars!). The plot is fun and engrossing. The humor is a chuckler, not a belly-roarer. Things have been nicely cut together to make this a nice cosy for people to enjoy on a quiet night. The actors come across as real people, no one person totally dominating the scene; however the two main ones are Gloria learning about her family and Grace helping her and the family. There are several nice surprises that are pulled out of the steamer trunk that make for an excellent show that's entertaining. Sexual content is medium; there are several scenes' where sex is implied and/or a body part is seen. No matter, this is an excellent black comedy.
Keeping Mum
Date undefinedThis was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I'm sorry it didn't get wider release, and very pleased to own it. Well, first, I would watch Maggie Smith read the phone book, and then it's got charming English scenery, and oh yeah, Patrick Swayze in a hilarious turn as a lecherous golf pro. Think of it as "Arsenic and Old Lace" meets "Father Ted." Story by Richard Russo, author of "Empire Falls" and other good novels.
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