Keeping Mum (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'Keeping Mum' is a dark comedy written by Richard Russo, Niall Johnson & directed by Johnson, as well. Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) is the vicar of a tiny countryside parish in Little Wallop, England. His marriage has gone stale, leaving his wife, Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) to have an affair with her American golf instructor, Lance (Patrick Swayze). Meanwhile, an oblivious Walter is also unaware that his little boy, Petey, is bullied by kids at school, and his 17 yr. old daughter, Holly, is a bit of a nymphomaniac. The family is plagued by problem after problem, til their new housekeeper, Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith) arrives to tie-up some loose ends around town. The film is adorable, and naughty-in-a-very-English way; but its cliches & weak ending bogs down the overall effect.
Grace is horrifically efficient in disposing of potential stumbling blocks that impede the family's chances of peace and survival. Grace will keep Holly preoccupied in the kitchen, rather than in the bedroom with her teenage suitors. To loosen him up, she'll give Walter a few religious jokes that he can spout at Sunday mass, & at a religious convention in Cornwall. Grace is a big help, she seems innocent enough ... but how about the way she thwarts Gloria's affair with Lance by way of clothing iron? How about the way she brings Petey's bullies to a demise by way of wire clippers? What about their neighbors' yip yappy dog? Why has he gone missing? And the dog's nosy, elderly master ... why has the neighbor joined his dog's fate? What of Mrs. Parker next door, has her meddling in Walter's ministry gone too far? Where'd she go? And good God, what the heck is in Grace's large, mysterious crate that she keeps in her bedroom upstairs?
Sounds like a delicious concept in a deliciously mischievous film that 'could' make for a delicious time at the movies; not quite. For a movie that's filled with sunny skies, rolling hills, green meadows, vivid flowers, cobblestone walkways, Tudor-styled cottages, neighbors-peering-through-windows, proper upbringings, Sunday sermons, Rowan Atkinson's humor, Kristin Scott Thomas' nuance, & the usually brilliant Maggie Smith, you'd think it would be mighty hard to not-like 'Keeping Mum'. Everything I just wrote isn't maximized to full potential, so everything then becomes very 'meh' in the grand scheme of things. Even a reveal about Grace's checkered past isn't enough to surprise, nor salvage the incessant mediocrity.
Some have likened this film to a sort of messed-up, diabolical Mary Poppins. I agree, but not messed-up in a scary way, messed-up in a literal way. Her portrayal as the warm, tender, grandmotherly persona is nice, but I thought Maggie Smith would be sweeter here, and then even crazier in her other persona. She's neither friendlier nor meaner than she 'should' be. I actually think she's a major weakness (other than the preposterous plot). But, as I said earlier, in a whimsical movie like this, the meadows & flowers & nosy neighbors in England can contribute enough in a film to make you forget an insufficient screenplay. Here, it's Maggie Smith's performance. Maggie Smith is NEVER a bad actress, but she needed a better script, and more versatility to tackle all of Grace's colors.
Grace is horrifically efficient in disposing of potential stumbling blocks that impede the family's chances of peace and survival. Grace will keep Holly preoccupied in the kitchen, rather than in the bedroom with her teenage suitors. To loosen him up, she'll give Walter a few religious jokes that he can spout at Sunday mass, & at a religious convention in Cornwall. Grace is a big help, she seems innocent enough ... but how about the way she thwarts Gloria's affair with Lance by way of clothing iron? How about the way she brings Petey's bullies to a demise by way of wire clippers? What about their neighbors' yip yappy dog? Why has he gone missing? And the dog's nosy, elderly master ... why has the neighbor joined his dog's fate? What of Mrs. Parker next door, has her meddling in Walter's ministry gone too far? Where'd she go? And good God, what the heck is in Grace's large, mysterious crate that she keeps in her bedroom upstairs?
Sounds like a delicious concept in a deliciously mischievous film that 'could' make for a delicious time at the movies; not quite. For a movie that's filled with sunny skies, rolling hills, green meadows, vivid flowers, cobblestone walkways, Tudor-styled cottages, neighbors-peering-through-windows, proper upbringings, Sunday sermons, Rowan Atkinson's humor, Kristin Scott Thomas' nuance, & the usually brilliant Maggie Smith, you'd think it would be mighty hard to not-like 'Keeping Mum'. Everything I just wrote isn't maximized to full potential, so everything then becomes very 'meh' in the grand scheme of things. Even a reveal about Grace's checkered past isn't enough to surprise, nor salvage the incessant mediocrity.
Some have likened this film to a sort of messed-up, diabolical Mary Poppins. I agree, but not messed-up in a scary way, messed-up in a literal way. Her portrayal as the warm, tender, grandmotherly persona is nice, but I thought Maggie Smith would be sweeter here, and then even crazier in her other persona. She's neither friendlier nor meaner than she 'should' be. I actually think she's a major weakness (other than the preposterous plot). But, as I said earlier, in a whimsical movie like this, the meadows & flowers & nosy neighbors in England can contribute enough in a film to make you forget an insufficient screenplay. Here, it's Maggie Smith's performance. Maggie Smith is NEVER a bad actress, but she needed a better script, and more versatility to tackle all of Grace's colors.