Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

mark.waltz When British vicar Rowan Atkinson and his beautiful but troubled wife Kristen Scott Thomas hire a new housekeeper, they are unaware of what they are getting themselves involved in. Giving one of her most subtle performances with a twist, Maggie Smith takes great pleasure in sticking it to the notion that little old ladies can be deadly...and funny. Having killed a cheating husband and mistress years before, she's out on the street and suddenly finds herself working for Atkinson and Thomas, having a past involving Thomas, and doing everything she can (and I mean everything and anything!) To protect them.In a hysterical small part, Patrick Swayze plays a lecherous tennis pro who is lusting over Thomas's daughter while reducing her. Besides Swayze, there's also a neighbor with a non-stop barking dog and a pesky old lady (the amusing Liz Smith) who keeps bugging Atkinson about church flowers. The young son gets aide from Smith in dealing with school bullies, and Atkinson gets help with sermon issues and ideas for a month major conference he's expected to speak at. Googling God for giggles adds on more laughs, and it's all subtle and deliciously dark. Call this "Serial Mom Senior Style" with a British style rarely seen since the Ealing comedies, and you get the picture.

Gypsi Bates The family of the retiring and oblivious Reverend Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) is falling apart: his wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) is lonely and looking for solace with the golf instructor (Patrick Swayze), his daughter is running wild, and his son is being bullied at school. When the new housekeeper, Grace (Maggie Smith), arrives, things begin to look up for the Goodfellows as problems seem to miraculously disappear. What they don't realize is that 43 years ago, Grace was responsible for clearing up a problem of her own in a most interesting way.In this disturbingly entertaining black comedy, the veteran cast display their excellent acting skills. Atkinson is particularly great, and it's hard to find a better actress than Dame Maggie Smith. The story line was engaging from the beginning and flowed with good timing. The humor is not going to be for everyone, but I often found it laugh-out-loud funny. Overall, while I can't give it a universal recommendation, it was an enjoyable film for those who appreciate the twisted British wit.

feyipuk 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.

Cedric_Catsuits Super cast, and a classic British comedy plot involving murderous little old ladies. Maggie Smith fits the bill perfectly as the not-so-innocent old dear, ably supported by the uniquely talented Atkinson and his usual repertoire of expressions, and an on-form K-S Thomas as the bored wife. Tamsin Egerton provides the glamour and Swayze the sleaze.Set in a picture-perfect village full of quaint characters, the film rarely goes off-track. However, there are locations that are clearly hundreds of miles apart in real life, but merely a short car ride in the story. The geographical inconsistencies apart, these jumps from one landscape to a very different one also detract from the realism of the plot.It's a simple, mostly inoffensive tale despite the blackness of the comedy, with crime being suggested rather than graphically illustrated - except for a couple of instances, which I feel would have been better left out. There is also more nudity and sex than would have occurred in the golden age of British comedy, such as with Ealing in the 40s and 50s.Not bad then, but could have been much better.