Keeping Mum

OK i admit it maybe i should have watched this movie with an open mind and not only care about Rowan, but the actual story sucked to. It had the potential of a good, grim English comedy filled with black humor but it was so damn SLOW! And the non-existent "Jokes" were so dull i couldn't believe it. Here we have Rowan Atkinson one of the worlds greatest comedians, a complete master of both and physical comedy and cynical wisecracking playing a dull pastor who's only really funny moment is reciting a Christian joke the script-writer(s) probably just read in a newspaper. It was like one long monotonous joke were the narrator constantly loses his thread of thought only to present the audience with and incredibly weak "punchline" in the end (HAHAHA They killed the pond-inspectors get it?! They just went along with murder HAHAHA!) Watch Rat Race if you want a funny Rowan in the 21'st century and avoid this.

Maggie Smith is mum, and you won't find that out until 90% way through the film. I'm reviewing the DVD version of this and I want to start by saying the DVD itself was faulty. The film was in 16:9 and the DVD doesn't automatically set itself to that, I had to manually alter the players settings then change the TV as well to actually be able to watch the whole screen. I think the "watchable screen area" was too big for even a widescreen TV on 16:9. So that spoiled the film before I even started watching it. As for the people who reviewed it whose comments appear on the back of the DVD itself, were they watching another film? this isn't even remotely funny, Rowan Atkinson is wasted in this movie. to the reviewer who said he found Rowan as a performer on the TV in the 1970's, sorry but no you didn't. Rowan didn't start working on the TV in the UK until the very early 1980's. the film starts out 43 years ago with a woman having killed her husband and his mistress and chopped them up and put them into her travelling trunk. she is jailed and then released into the present day where she changes her name and becomes the housekeeper of a vicar, his wife and their son and daughter. the plot of this is almost Mary Poppins apart from all the killings that Maggie smith does. she comes and helps each member of the family with their character flaws and personal problems. the end is rubbish.

That most belly laughs I've ever had in one movie. The village vicar, Reverend Walter Goodfellow (Rowen Atkinson) hasn't got a clue what's going on around him and makes for a fabulous central figure. His wife, Gloria Goodfellow (Kristin Scott Thomas) is so desperate for affection she considers running away with her golf pro Lance (Patrick Swayze) who I can only describe as a randy last chance trendy. When at one point Swayze is stripped down to his red G string I was hallowing with laughter. All though you don't see any of the gory bits, the sound effects make up for this at one point particularly. Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith) uses whatever is at hand to kill her victims, including an iron. The first to die is in modern times (others have died 40 plus years before) is the neighbours barking dog who keeps everyone awake night after night. The plot is very good at making you feel "good" about each death. You just knew everyone will be better off without that dog. But, that is only the tip of the ice berg as you would expect. It's a very English piece of humour, well written and a lot of fun. All the main players are perfect for their characters. Maggie Smith is perfectly cast as a nutty old lady capable of slicing and dicing with the best of them! At one point Rowen Atkinson is reciting scriptural references about passion and sex (also used to good effect during the closing credits) as only Mr.Atkinson can. I'll be going to see it again I can tell you. It's well worth seeing.

This movie was surprisingly bad. I thought of leaving the theater two or three times, but I'd paid my money and thought it could only get better. It's difficult to understand why such superb talent would agree to appear in such a poor production. The story line is undeveloped, the characters are weak, and the dialog is silly. The "humour" is tired and cheap - far beneath the usually superior British standards for comedy entertainment. Kristen Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Rowan Atkinson, and Patrick Swayze all appear to be trying like crazy, but they have nothing to work with. It just hobbled on and on. There is nothing funny in this movie. The only ones who will be laughing are those taking your money to watch this trash.

Whether this is considered black comedy or dark comedy, the film is absolutely awful and an insult to anyone's intelligence. When Maggie Smith leaves prison after 40 years for the murder of her husband and his lover, she goes to work for a vicar and his wife that are having problems. The vicar is an absolute bore, dull jerk. That's the easy way to put it. His wife, Kristin Scott Thomas, is having an affair with an American pro-golfer, Patrick Swayze is a stupid role. There are the vicar and his wife's children, both of whom act not like the children of religious parents. When Smith sees what's going on between Thomas and Swayze, she wacks him over the head and then confesses to Thomas and the daughter, that she is there mother/grandmother. The end is as ridiculous as the rest of this. Why people with the talent of Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas and Patrick Swayze would play in this junk is hard to imagine. Years ago, the brilliant Ms. Smith, claimed that she'd make movies for jam money. She must be really broke to put her great acting talent into this misery of a film.

This movie is - in my humble opinion - a gem absolutely worth watching, and watching, and watching again. I found it genuinely funny, and laughed the whole movie through (and judging from the decibel level in the cinema the people around me enjoyed it too. :) It was refreshing, and gave me much of the same feeling as when I first saw Ocean's Eleven... it's one of those 'they don't make movies like these anymore' (only they do - sometimes), if you know what I mean. I thoroughly enjoyed myself! I was especially impressed by the performance of Rowan Atkinson, who plays a more down-to-earth character than I'm used to seeing him play, and I think it suits him very well. He doesn't reduce the good reverend to a clown, but makes him sweet, realistic and lovable. Kudos also to Kristen Scott Thomas, who gives Gloria a heart, and the ever so amazing Dame Maggie Smith, who gives Rosie a soul. Bottom line: I recommend it wholeheartedly!

Maggie Smith is the real star of this very old-fashioned British comedy. She plays a sweet old homicidal maniac, who comes to work as a housekeeper for a set-in-his-ways vicar (Rowan Atkinson) in the parish of Little Wallop (a dinky little English village). The vicar's frustrated wife (Kristin Scott-Thomas) is about to embark on an affair with her golf instructor, Patrick Swayze (hilarious). What she doesn't know is that mad Maggie will literally kill to prevent this. This is a jolly, quite black comedy of the scale usually reserved for TV – except here it's got a decent budget, and is very lushly photographed with an American feel to its production values. It has a leisurely pace, a rather self-conscious charm, and some fairly obvious gags, but Maggie Smith (in a more restrained mode than usual) has some excellent moments. My main problem is my allergy to Rowan Atkinson, who, while adequate, seems wasted here playing a cardiganed innocent. Miss Scott-Thomas however, is, as always, entirely charming.

highly entertaining, good black comedy. What seems like a perfect setting in middle england, with Rowan Atkinson who plays the local vicar. But all is not perfect in the family, with his wife yearning for more fun in life & his daughter getting too much fun & his son being bullied at school. The vicar has lost his sense of humour over the years. Things all change with the arrival of the new housekeeper, played by Maggie Smith. A surprising role for Patrick Swayze as the local gold pro but played well. Good fun film

This is a bizarre little movie. It has all the right ingredients for a great comedy; Rowan Atkinson as a minister, Patrick Swayze as a sleazy golf instructor, and Maggie Smith as a demented yet lovable old lady. However, Keeping Mum never really knows what it wants to be; comedy, drama, social statement, romance, or even faith based; it's all of these yet none of them... that's why I refer to this movie as being in the "psycho genre" of movies... not because of it being a horror movie i.e. Halloween or Friday the 13th, but for the reason listed above. The movie does have some genuinely funny moments as well as some very touching scenes but the story is so dark it's difficult to like what was happening throughout; lies, murder, sex, murder, very black humor, vengeance,and did I mention murder? The twist ending doesn't come a shock it's been done so many times before. What would have been original is if there had been some consequences for the actions done in this movie. And that is why I didn't really like this movie... it contains a total lack of consequences. Maybe I missed the point but I understood the meaning behind this movie is if something offends or gets in the way of the perfect family then dispose of the problem quickly and surely and then go on as if it never happened. Although I don't think anyone is going to go Columbine after seeing this movie I still don't think it's a movie that we should let our kids watch. I expected much more especially with Mr Bean starring in it but I should have listened to a friend who told me that I shouldn't expect Mr Bean but Scary Mary... referring to the Mary Poppins type storyline. So to sum up if you're looking for a good time look elsewhere, if you're looking for an adult version of Mary Poppins then you may just enjoy this movie. Violence: Moderate (most of the violence takes place off screen); Course Language: High (many uses of the "F" bomb); Sex: Moderate/High (the reverends wife is having an affair, breasts are seen, groping, fondling, having sex); Family Friendly: No

Niall Johnson's 'Keeping Mom' is a delightful black comedy. Russo and Johnson's innovative screenplay, the pleasant score and the surprising cast and the dark humour is brilliantly put together. At the same time, the characters are very identifiable. After all, Grace is just a mother who's protecting her children, Gloria just wants her husband's affection, Walter just wants to excel in his 'profession' and Lance is a sleaze you might have met once. Yet, the story cleverly takes them to extreme ends that results in murder, infidelity and voyeurism. Pretty much all the actors are cast in roles you have never seen them play before. Kristin Scott Thomas is the heart of the film (as the director himself stated) and she performs very naturally. While Atkinson has played Reverend earlier, he actually delivers a very subtle performance where he downplays the comedy (unlike his regular in-your-face comedy sketches). He is proving to be a versatile comedian. I loved how Patrick Swayze makes fun of his iconic status in an indirect way. The actor is excellent as the jerk and it has been ages since he has been in something worthwhile. Liz Smith is fun to watch as the annoying and nosy flower committee member. Emilia Fox is very good as the nonchalant killer and Maggie Smith is hilarious! This lady has never let down and she is a complete delight to watch as she goes on 'protecting' her family. 'Love the actress! The location shots are amazing. The fictitious town looks lovely yet the director manages to successfully bring out the coldness and boredom. The stunning cinematography deserves mention too. 'Keeping Mom' is a small but wonderfully innovative film that had me laughing all the way.