Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Kristen Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Patrick Swayze
Cert: 15
Released: 2nd December 2005

Forty-three years ago pretty, polite and pregnant Rosie Jones (Emilia Fox) is arrested for the murder of her husband and his mistress. She might have got away with it if the leather locker she had their chopped up pieces stored in had not leaked all over the train floor. She's tried for manslaughter and locked away in an institute for the criminally insane, due only for release when it is deemed she no longer represents a threat to society.

Fast forward to today and the little hamlet of Little Wallop (population 57) is far from quiet as long as Mr. Brown's dog continues with its incessant barking. The only person it seems to upset is Gloria Goodfellow (Scott Thomas). She's trying to have a lie-in on Sunday morning while her husband, Walter (Atkinson), delivers his weekly sermon at his church. Within the first ten minutes of this day we discover that he is a meek but well-intentioned man; their 17-year-old daughter is a rebellious sexaholic; their younger son is an introvert; Gloria is a neglected, disenchanted mum looking for answers and the household is expecting a new housekeeper, Grace Hawkins (Smith).

Gloria multiplies her problems by seeking affection and escape in the arms of her golf instructor, Lance (Swayze), whilst her son is being bullied at school and Walter's lack of self-confidence is affecting the composing of a seminar he has to give.

Grace's arrival at the Goodfellow homestead is preceded by a familiar, yet battered, leather trunk. She is kindly, polite and twee but completely unshockable and matter of fact. Shortly after her arrival, things just seem to start getting better for Gloria; the dog stops barking, the daughter becomes more homely, the boy stops getting bullied and Walter starts building some self-esteem, self-respect and credibility around his parish.

But the high price of this new idyll is a dark and bloody cost as nasty accidents befall those who might cause Gloria and her family any trouble.

Getting the sycophancy out of the way this has to be one of the funniest films I have seen this year, let alone British films which, let's face it, has not been rife with originality or quality.

Setting aside that Atkinson is playing yet another vicar it has to be understood that he is in a lead role rather than just the comedy cameo that was seen in the likes of Four Weddings And A Funeral so the script allows for a lot more depth of character than the simplistic caricature of a Christian. It is the presence of his family that really anchors the disbelief. The younger roles are played by exceptional actors and of course Atkinson has the remarkable talents of Scott Thomas as his 'straight man' although to describe her as such is an incredible injustice. Better, perhaps, to say that she plays the 'relatively straight man' given that the film, ostensibly, is about her and she is the dose of reality next to Atkinson's larger than life performance.

For Scott Thomas is given an abundance of comedy moments in her own right. For an actor of her calibre who is synonymous with high-class, glamorous roles her introduction is a delightful surprise and on a par with Hugh Grant's in Four Weddings for its simple yet gratuitous Englishness. She is as competent as playing the disillusioned, dowdy mum as she is the beautiful mistress of the country manor.

Then, three truly becomes the charm as Maggie Smith eats up every scene she appears in. She is a paragon of English eccentricity, appearing as a naïve, delicate and sweet old lady but has the thin-lipped, dangerous stare that could clear the high street after the pubs have closed. She is a genius piece of deliciously malicious casting.

On the sidelines is Patrick Swayze whose very presence is a bizarrety in its own right but still a faultless comedic performance as a seedy lothario whose personal comeuppance is one of the more satisfying. The rest of the supporting cast are an array of English clichés: school bullies, unsuitable boyfriends, interfering neighbours and doddery farmers who are all there simply as the next target for Smith to have a crack at.

Keeping Mum is a simple premise with no too-clever twists or terribly convoluted plot lines. It has a solid script played by an exceptionally competent cast. It hasn't tried to appeal to the Richard Curtis vein of fluffy upper class, transatlantic romance and hasn't forfeited any of its gruesome edge by trying to squeeze into a more commercially viable 12A. Having blatant, unjustifiable murders displayed in such a humorous manner makes it a slightly disturbing black comedy that puts me in mind of the classic Ealings that were so unapologetic for their content. Keeping Mum is a return to our amoral comedic roots; it's degenerate and unpleasant at times and you can't help but laugh at it.