this tale of the upper class get their come uppance and wallow in their high class misery be like a contemporary mid sommerish version of an old joan crawford movie in which she suffer in mink . here and people behave in a frightfully civilized manner in the face of adversity . a well heeled london solicitor and ( tom wilkinson ) and discovers that not only be his wife have an affair with the local gentry but that she have also kill their housekeeper husband in a hit and run accident . he throw up and but otherwise his stiff upper lip hardly quaver . write and direct by julian fellowes and who win an oscar for write gosford park and ( this be his directorial debut ) and from a novel by nigel balchin and it quite comical although i be not sure how much of the comedy be intend . it like a throw back to british film of the forty where character all behave like character in book or play rather than like people might in real life . however and it not all bad . wilkinson be terrific and even if you never believe in him a a person while emily watson and ( the adulterous wife ) and and rupert everett and ( the highly amoral high class totty ) and be both very good at cover the crack in the material . tony pierce robert cinematography ensure that no matter how hard it be on the ear it always good on the eye .