happychick-52014

Only one thing seems to matter to Ellen, her two mentally disturbed sisters Emily and Louisa. We are never told why her sisters are disturbed or what it is that they suffer from, one seems to simply have a low IQ, the other possibly a type of Asperger's syndrome. It seems Ellen has her own particular kind of personality disorder, so one wonders if they have all experienced a trauma in their childhoods which keeps them clinging together.

Ellen's supposed nephew Albert who shows up later is a petty thief and a bounder, he torments Ellen with his knowledge of a crime that he suspects her of committing. It's never made clear if Albert is really her nephew or not, or if their relationship is something different all together. Albert sets about seducing the maid, which suggest his previous relationship with Ellen may have been murky at best.

No one in this film is blameless (well perhaps the nuns and the cart driver), everyone has their noble and ruthless qualities. A wonderful film with some excellent acting, and a real little corker of a plot line.

Lord and Lady Redscarf announce they will be giving a cottage to the married couple in the village who have the most grand children. Hot competition ensues between the three most prolific families.

Everything about this film is charming, it's a small snapshot of quaint village life from a time long past. All the side characters are utterly adorable, the two old men who have a secret trapdoor in their shed for late night chats; the overly nosey postmistress who spreads gossip, the bickering matrons of the families, the blacksmith and his new young wife who just want a cottage of their own. The plot twists and turns with many surprising revelations to keep you guessing who will get the cottage in the end.

Butter some crumpets, make a nice cup of tea and enjoy this sweet and cheerful little comedy.

A young couple move into a large badly maintained house due to housing shortage. As ghostly events happen, they invite a friend to help them examine the house. The mystery deepens as they find clues about the houses former occupants, a Spanish occultist and his wife who left him for a sailor.

The pace of the film is a little slow, but none the less it is pleasant enough. Not a scary film, more of a mystery. With, of course, a twist at the end. Worth spending 40mins on a rainy afternoon. The cinematography is very average, nothing about the cuts or angles suggest the urgency the characters are portraying. The acting is sound, and very British.