Keeping Mum ticks all the requirements for a British comedy: quirky characters, dark subject matter, token American actor, nice scenery etc etc. It's also quite plodding - the narrative never really 'gets going', but in its slow, gentle approach it gives the characters within the film a chance to breathe and become more 3 dimensional. This is really what the film is about - the murderous housekeeper is merely a macabre subplot to the character studies on display. Okay, this isn't Mike Leigh, but the characters are fully formed and likable in a way which make you care about their lives.
Acting is superb from all involved - Atkinson as the dull, rather naive priest, Scott-Thomas as the sexually frustrated wife taking 'golf lessons' with the sleazy, not quite hateful Swayze as her instructor. But lets not forget Maggie Smith as the adorable psychopath that finds herself in their home and in their hearts and, in turn, our hearts too. She really is a lovable old nutcase!
Beautifully shot and impeccably written, Keeping Mum should be approached with caution: it's not a belly-laugh a minute joke-fest, but a gentle, often amusing character study. With a bit of cold-blooded murder thrown in!
Acting is superb from all involved - Atkinson as the dull, rather naive priest, Scott-Thomas as the sexually frustrated wife taking 'golf lessons' with the sleazy, not quite hateful Swayze as her instructor. But lets not forget Maggie Smith as the adorable psychopath that finds herself in their home and in their hearts and, in turn, our hearts too. She really is a lovable old nutcase!
Beautifully shot and impeccably written, Keeping Mum should be approached with caution: it's not a belly-laugh a minute joke-fest, but a gentle, often amusing character study. With a bit of cold-blooded murder thrown in!