The Innocents - Lisa's Review

So, we travel back in time again for 'The Innocents'.  Right back to the early 60's.  I will admit, since I started having to watch particular movies for review, there have been some old movies that I have enjoyed.  Movies that I otherwise would never have chosen to see.  This movie however is most definitely not in that category.

There isn't much to the movie plot wise.  A young attractive lady called Miss Giddens (played by Deborah Kerr no less) is hired to become governess to 2 young children.  They are orphans and are under the care of their uncle who doesn't want to be bothered by them.  He is a very affluent man so he basically throws money at the situation to make it go away.  He hires Miss Giddens, who admits to having no experience whatsoever, seemingly purely based on her looks.  When she arrives at the childrens home, she makes a friend in the housekeeper Mrs Grose and loves Flora, the little girl she is to care for.  The little boy Miles is at boarding school so we don't see him until a bit later in the movie.

Miss Giddens is under the impression she is going to love her job, but she starts to see people who then turn out not to be there.  When Miles arrives home from school, things start to take an unpleasant turn with more strange happenings and some very odd behaviour from the children.  Mrs Grose doesn't seem to want to answer the questions Miss Giddens puts to her and almost warns her not to delve any deeper.  She knows something is very wrong with the children and the house.  This is pretty much it apart from giving away what was going on.

The Innocents - Will's Review

Truthfully, and without exaggeration, I assert that nothing in a motion picture can drive me to distraction with more haste than the ever so frightfully effected speech patterns employed by those who write period dramas, save perhaps the cadence with which such lines are delivered by members of the acting profession whom find themselves cast in same. I am certain therefore, that it will be no great struggle for you to ascertain the issues I found myself having with the movie it befalls upon to view for our two hundred and sixth week.

That particular kind of affectedly "posh" period drama is (along with westerns) outright not my thing, and this movie would have to do a lot to win me over...

Week 204 - The Innocents (1961)

Reviews / Author Comments due: 18/04/2015

More Info: Wikipedia, IMDB

DVD: Link

Trailer