jplatten

I was going to say everyone is grumbling for no reason, just because it's not like the book. But then towards the latter half the poor acting really started to grate - and unfortunately it was Jack Gleeson from Game of Thrones not even the kids. Add that to some absolutely risible scenes during one of the kids' escapes (that's not a spoiler famous five are always escaping something). Plus the terrible stilted scenes when the parents are busy not listening to the kids (again not really a spoiler - it always happens). So 5 from me not because it isn't Blyton or because its revisionist, but because in places its really very bad.

Well - it's definitely a play rendered as a film. The kind of play where you ache after a while, you start to feel uncomfortable in your seat and you wish you could walk out because it's just too many words and the set doesn't change often enough to keep up interest and its all just a bit too artsy and meaningful.

Within that the concept is interesting and the bits tacked on at the beginning and the end are actually the best parts of the story as far as a watchable film goes.

So if you don't like to miss out on curiosity of it all but don't want to torture yourself either watch through to the start of the transformation scene with Zero Mostel and then skip through the set in-apartment mono-tonal scenes taking in the gist but not the length to the point where Gene wilder leaves, then watch the ending.

Result - the oddball IMDB 6.0 40 minute film you probably came here for and none of the worthy and outdated verbiage about herd conformity.

Experiencing films like this one without the associated pain "are what that FFWD button on your remote is for".

No really, that actually happened.

I just wanted to say what a testament that is to the power of this film. I was scared myself that if she by chance actually did watch it she would have run away screaming.

Bizarrely what happened later is some people around me did go on to emulate a certain character's malice in pretty much the way the film lays out. Talk about life imitating art.

One thing I would say is that despite the film's wonderful power the story itself that powers this - with all due credit to Daphne du Maurier. What a wonderful concept the whole thing is. A total one off plot I've not seen repeated in other films.

Finally - if you are a second wife reading this and first wife passed away... yeah she's watching you for sure enough - believe it !