The talents of Alan Rickman, JulietStevenson and Kristen Scott-Thomas nevertheless conspire with Mr Minghella's bravura film-making technique to crush the play's humours.
Take a pinch of Goodness Gracious Me, My Beautiful Launderette, East is East, etc and add Alison Steadman's brilliant Abigail (pinched with gusto by the fabulous JulietStevenson from Mike Leigh's "Abigail's Party") and you have it.