No Kidding

Within 20 minutes of watching this film, which I can only describe as soppy and sugar coated, the notion of a married couple, played by Leslie Phillips and Geraldine McEwan, playing temporary surrogate parents to a motley crew of a large number of children from very different cultural & social backgrounds in a large, rambling country house invites disbelief. The children are frankly too good to be true, being simply caricatured as young people who are 'glacial' in terms of feelings and emotions. It's supposed to be a 'feel good' film where an ordinary, well intentioned middle class couple try to make a loving home, where liberal values of tolerance, love and care will create a happy community of young people, where everyone is taught duty, respect and a sense of responsibility. It has a strong cast, but sadly they're wasted, as the unfunny 'comedy scenes' are painful to watch, and despite the usual parade of British stereotypical characters bobbing in and out of the film, trying to enliven and inject life into the proceedings, it doesn't work, but simply makes the whole thing a tiresome experience. Give this film a miss!