People are voting emotionally.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Pregnant Rosie Jones (Emilia Fox) is caught with her husband and his mistress chopped up in a trunk while riding the train. She is imprisoned for a lesser charge of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. Years late in Little Wallop, Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) is the long suffering wife of reverend Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson). Her daughter Holly (Tamsin Egerton) is sexually promiscuous. Her son Petey is being bullied. She's having an affair with her golf instructor Lance (Patrick Swayze). Then the new housekeeper Grace (Maggie Smith) arrives. She saves the struggling family with her unconventional solutions and reveals her real connection. It's a quirky British black comedy. There are a couple of chuckles. It's not a gut-busting comedy. It's more of a sly dig at the reserved British persona with a kindly serial killer. It's mildly funny.

Rowan Atkinson is a vicar who's lost his motivation and become stuck in the rut of endless meetings. A charming, bumbling, wet blanket, which he plays in the same way he does many of his previous acting roles. Kristin Scott Thomas is his long suffering wife, who feels she's lacking any spice in her life. The parents are so focused on their own lives that they can't see what is happening with their children. Tamsin Egerton is the wayward daughter, who sleeps around, much to the irritation of her parents, who seem unable to reign her in. Toby Parkes plays the young son, finding it hard to fit in at school. And into their lives comes a mysterious Maggie Smith, who, while charming and motherly on the surface, hides a darker side that could have big implications on the family. This is a beautifully written and executed black comedy - reminiscent of the Ealing Studios comedies such as the Lady Killers - with the family at the centre of the story having plenty of aspects to empathise with. It's produced in part by the Isle of Man Film Commission, and if you know the island, then the landscape really jumps out; the sons school is Sulby, they have tea at Cregneash (over looking the Calf of Man), there's a shot with the Castle of Refuge at Douglas in the background, and even shots from inside the Gaiety Theatre, yet it could be based in any small village environment, with its quirky characters and small scale problems that shouldn't require such...final solutions.

Although farce is a universal comedic language, it's fair to say that nobody does farce as well as the English. From Oscar Wilde to Richard Curtis, the English sense of humour is strongly based in misunderstanding, misdirection and classic class stereotypes and this movie is a revival of such long-standing traditions. It might not be a riotous laugh but like "Calendar Girls", this is a gentle and almost relaxing comedic plod through the English countryside and offers a modern and black interpretation of "Mary Poppins" that Disney would certainly not approve of! In the sleepy village of Little Wallop, Reverend Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) is struggling with his parishioners as well as trying to write the opening speech for a forthcoming conference. But away from the pulpit, things are even worse for his family - not that Walter is noticing. His wife Gloria (Kristin Scott-Thomas) is considering an affair with slimy golf instructor Lance (Patrick Swayze), his daughter Holly (Tamsin Egerton) has a succession of unsuitable boyfriends and his son Petey (Toby Parkes) is being bullied at school. Enter their new housekeeper Grace (Maggie Smith) who slowly begins to work her magic on the family. But Grace has plenty of dark secrets of her own and soon, her unusual methods of keeping the peace create more problems for Gloria than they actually solve...There aren't many actors who are happy to play up to their usual characters but the cast of "Keeping Mum" all do a fantastic job, adding a worrying authenticity to proceedings but the star of the show is Smith who is simply wonderful as the naughty nanny with a mysterious trunk "full of memories". Swayze also does very well as the lecherous lover of Gloria, reminding you of what a fine actor he actually was. The story might not be the most disguised and you can't help but wonder how the truth was concealed to the characters for as long as it was. But it's a delightful pastiche of those English clichés of sleepy villages, nosey busy-bodies and murderous citizens reacting to the slightest provocation. It's like an extended episode of "Midsomer Murders" but with slightly more swearing and nudity - in fact, it sorta makes me feel that it's been produced more for a foreign market as opposed to a British one but it's not that's not a reason for me to dislike a film that generally is amusing, interesting and offers an antidote to overly sugary "nanny" films like "Mary Poppins" or "Nanny McPhee"."Keeping Mum" might not be everyone's cup of tea but it is a recommended comedy crime thriller that reminds us to be careful of exactly what we wish for. As a bonus, it is also beautifully shot - I cannot recall a film that showed how truly amazing the British countryside can look, a real picture-postcard filled with rolling hills, sweeping coastlines and cottages with smoke-billowing chimneys and stone walls. "Keeping Mum" does for England what "Lost In Translation" did for Japan or "Y Tu Mama Tambien" did for Mexico. In addition to its stunning cinematography, it's a funny yet grisly film that will amuse most people although anyone expecting gut-busting belly laughs might want to look elsewhere. Still, this is much funnier that a lot of comedies out there so give it a try and wallow in some good, old-fashioned farce.

The story about this movie is simple. Goodfellow family hires nanny to watch over because they have work of their head even if that is not the fact, actually.Well, I am going to start with beginning. I think that the opening scene makes the rest of the movie a little predictable. You know that girl is going to have some connection with a family from small village. It was funny, but unnecessary.I have to say that everything in the movie happened too fast. Gloria fell in love with her instructor too fast, and her daughter Holly was stated as a slut, which is too far-in-credibility for this movie. I found Rowan Attkinson in this movie a little bit lost and his character wasn't that funny like Gloria and Lance, her lover.When we find out that Grace is actually a killer, it's funny because she doesn't even see any piece of severity in her acts. She just tries to keep family happy and together. Reason is very good twist. She is Gloria's mother. She is overall the most memorable character in this movie and easily likable, besides the fact that she killed more people in this movie than Jason in Friday the 13th Part II.Petey is the most undeveloped character and it's there just because of the routine which movie has to accomplish. But his situations developed Graces's character so it's needed.Overall: Movie has really funny moments that involved mostly, like I stated, Gloria, Lance and Walter. It's a family movie set in beautiful country-side, which is perfectly settled with emotions of all characters. Of course I can't forget to mention Liz Smiths's character which was the final piece of this puzzle. My rating: 7/10