Steamcarrot

OK, so the film isn't great, but it surely ain't awful either. It is reminiscent of other films, The Innocents and The Others to name but two, but there's no harm in that. There's very few films today that could be called truly original these days. Originality doesn't matter, it's the telling of the story that matters, and like the aforementioned, this film moves at a slow pace, admittedly too slow at times but it does deliver a certain creepiness and suspense. Where this film falls down for some (taking into consideration the comments already left) is that it doesn't end with an explanation. But so what? Like The Innocents you are left to come up with your own conclusions and I for one like it when the facts aren't spelled out to me in cinematic semaphore. Ambiguity is all but lost under the onslaught of mind-numbing American releases that offer nothing but 90 minutes of entertainment and then nothing. Saint Ange is a film you can chew on for days afterwards. It's very well shot, capably acted and offers a few shivers along the way. Not nearly as bad as people would have you believe.

The final outing for Mr Bean provides a chortlesome 90 minutes. Never hilarious, but always amusing. There is a slight deviation from the usual Bean characterisation and he comes across more Tati-ish, which is somewhat fitting considering the locations, although there is no satire present. Luckily there is little plot to be found, which is exactly right for this type of film and the film ambles along from one mishap to the next culminating in the totally expected sugary outcome. In a way, it's a shame it's the last Bean (if Atkinson is to be believed) as the cinema does need more of these gentle comedies that only the British seem capable of producing, and very rarely at that. On the whole, while it'll never set the world alight it's a decent enough flick that I think will improve when it transfers to the small screen, Bean's natural home.