 |  | Get Showtimes... |
Review #281 of 365
Film: Keeping Mum (2006) [R] 103 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.75
Where Viewed: Landmark Chez Artiste, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 19 October 2006
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Film's Official Website
DVD Release Date: unscheduled
Directed by: Niall Johnson (The Ghost of Greville Lodge)
Screenplay by: Richard Russo (The Ice Harvest) & Niall Johnson (White Noise)
Story by: Richard Russo
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Rowan Atkinson (Love Actually) • Kristin Scott Thomas (Gosford Park) • Maggie Smith (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) • Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights) • Liz Smith (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) • Emilia Fox (Cashback)
Soundtrack: order the CD soundtrack below
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
What is it with the British and stories of nannies or housekeepers that will come and solve all of your problems? Well, in this Niall Johnson / Richard Russo spin on an old yarn called Keeping Mum, we find the Goodfellow family of the minute English village of Little Wallop*. As a complete aside, I did a bit of research, because I really didn't think Little Wallop was big enough to be called a village. I vaguely recall seeing a sign stating the population was 57. So, I thought, maybe it's a hamlet and not a village at all. Technically, as it turns out, the term 'hamlet' when not referring to Shakespeare's timeless play, of course, means a village that is too small to have it's own church. Little Wallop has it's own church, though it's maximum capacity is roughly 100 persons or nearly double the town's population making it, I guess able to accept parishioners from neighboring hamlets. This charming little church is overseen by none other than Vicar Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) Keeping Mum's protagonist. He has a lovely wife of many years named Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) and two children: Holly (Tamsin Egerton), the non-dutiful daughter who parades a string of mangy boyfriends through her parents lives and then scowls when they are unable woefully to recall their names, and Petey (Toby Parkes) who bears the brunt of torment by bullies at school on a regular basis.
"..a scandalously good and fun film for audiences seeking a twist on the magic Nanny story, some wonderful characters and performances, and a great diversion from heavy, high brow documentaries, but not the intelligence required to appreciate them."
Gloria, it turns out, is a bit dissatisfied with her husband's ranking of the church over their marriage when it comes to assembling his priority list, so she dabbles on the side with her American golf instructor Lance (Patrick Swayze). Meanwhile, the poor Vicar who wallows in his inability to excite his congregation, is continually harassed by dear, old, Mrs. Parker (Liz Smith), chair of the flower arranging committee and town gossip. Ah, but that's not the beginning of the story. No, actually, the story begins some 43 years earlier when the very pregnant Rosie Jones (Emilia Fox) is convicted of murdering her husband and his girlfriend and shoving them in an over-sized footlocker. The courts determine that she was of unfit mind at the time, and sentence her to a stay in a mental facility until which time the overseer can ascertain that she is no longer a danger to society. Back in the present, poor Mrs. Goodfellow is having just an awful time getting a good night's rest because the neighbor's little terrier yaps day and night. No matter, she and Vicar Goodfellow have put out a call for a new housekeeper and are pleased to learn that Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith) has answered their prayers and agreed to assume the position immediately coming to each family member's rescue. Her first order of duty after the family cooperates for the first time in a long time by moving Grace's musty, brown, travel trunk to her room, is to take swift action with the neighbor's non-melodious mutt. Gloria awakes after ten and realizes this is the longest she's slept in peacefully in years. Grace takes no credit, she simply invites her to breakfast at her leisure. Little by little, Grace proves to be far more invaluable and protective of the family than they ever could have asked and quickly becomes part of the family. She becomes, however, more and more aware of the family's inner problems including suspicions that the relationship with the golf pro is less clandestine than Gloria would have the good Reverend believing and that Holly has gotten herself on a collision course to destructive relationships with her penchant for these 'bad boys'.
This film has some outstanding and delightfully Roald Dahl-esque twists on the Nanny McPhee theme, so I shan't be the one to divulge them here and spoil the show. Instead, just let me say that they are rich, occasionally uproarious, but always with a twist of gracious English manners. The cast is delightful. Rowan Atkinson plays a character who possesses some of the elements of his Mr. Bean, but mostly, he sticks to the demands of playing the civilized religious leader of his village. Kristin Scott Thomas dazzles as one of those rare women who starts of beautiful, but grows more and more beautiful as she ages. The children are good and veer away from the sort of contemptuous rapscallions so oven used to populate these stories; and Patrick Swayze, himself having crossed over into his second half century still looking dashing enough to catch the eye of Gloria, pulls off a tremendous supporting role as the lecherous golf pro with and achy-breaky schwing and too many promises to all of his lady-friends on the side. The presence of Maggie Smith, however, makes all the others frosting for her cakes. This complex role of subterfuge, cleverness, and humble grace suits her like crumpets with afternoon tea. She's not your garden variety Mary Poppins with a trunk instead of an umbrella, rather she's a real person, with a real past, and a readiness to reconcile certain parts of her past.
Keeping Mum, and mum's the operative word, is a scandalously good and fun film for audiences seeking a twist on the magic Nanny story, some wonderful characters and performances, and a great diversion from heavy, high brow documentaries, but not the intelligence required to appreciate them.
This film has some outstanding and delightfully Roald Dahl-esque twists on the Nanny McPhee theme, so I shan't be the one to divulge them here and spoil the show. Instead, just let me say that they are rich, occasionally uproarious, but always with a twist of gracious English manners. The cast is delightful. Rowan Atkinson plays a character who possesses some of the elements of his Mr. Bean, but mostly, he sticks to the demands of playing the civilized religious leader of his village. Kristin Scott Thomas dazzles as one of those rare women who starts of beautiful, but grows more and more beautiful as she ages. The children are good and veer away from the sort of contemptuous rapscallions so oven used to populate these stories; and Patrick Swayze, himself having crossed over into his second half century still looking dashing enough to catch the eye of Gloria, pulls off a tremendous supporting role as the lecherous golf pro with and achy-breaky schwing and too many promises to all of his lady-friends on the side. The presence of Maggie Smith, however, makes all the others frosting for her cakes. This complex role of subterfuge, cleverness, and humble grace suits her like crumpets with afternoon tea. She's not your garden variety Mary Poppins with a trunk instead of an umbrella, rather she's a real person, with a real past, and a readiness to reconcile certain parts of her past.
Keeping Mum, and mum's the operative word, is a scandalously good and fun film for audiences seeking a twist on the magic Nanny story, some wonderful characters and performances, and a great diversion from heavy, high brow documentaries, but not the intelligence required to appreciate them.
___________
*A Joke from the EnglishClub.com about Little Wallop.
A driver was lost in the countryside. He did not like to admit it so only asked a local,
"How far down that road is the village called Little Wallop?"
The countryman did not seem very intelligent. He thought before he answered,
"If I can remember and if what I learnt at school was correct, the village is about 6 thousand miles away. But if you turn and go the other way, it is three miles away."
Back to Top | W.I.P. Scale™ | Most Recently Reviewed Films | Films of 2005 | Films of 2006
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Keeping Mum (2006)
Cast Members
Rowan Atkinson
• Kristin Scott Scott • Maggie SmithPatrick Swayze
• Liz Smith • Emilia FoxDirector
Niall Johnson
Writer
Richard Russo
| CD Soundtrack | VHS | DVD |
Keeping Mum (2006) Review-lite [150-word cap]
What is it with the British and stories of nannies or housekeepers that will solve all of your problems? Well, in this Niall Johnson / Richard Russo spin on an old yarn called Keeping Mum, we find the Goodfellow family of the minute English village of Little Wallop. Vicar Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) has a lovely wife, Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas), and two children: Holly (Tamsin Egerton), the non-dutiful daughter, and Petey (Toby Parkes) who bears the brunt of torment by bullies at school on a regular basis. New-to-town, Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith) has agreed to assume the position as housekeeper, and she immediately coming to each family member's rescue. With some outstanding and delightfully Roald Dahl-esque twists on the Nanny McPhee theme, splendid performances Keeping Mum, and mum is the operative word, is a scandalously good and fun film with its intelligence and sense of humor kept firmly intact.
No comments:
Post a Comment