'These two are different - you mark my words,' says Julie Walters as a French bourgeoise of the early 1930s, on the two sisters she has employed as maids. She doesn't know how right she is. Within the intense confinement of the shuttered house, the girls soon progress from being 'blood sisters' to something more. Their obsession with each other inevitably leads to the neglect of duties, which in turn gives rise to the violent ending of this shocking true story. Despite an excellent performance by Walters, however, the slow-moving, dark and claustrophobic piece rarely packs the impact it carried on stage and the story itself seems more suited to an hour-long adult documentary on TV. Joely Richardson and Jodhi May are a little too stilted as the sisters, although both do extremely well with their big scene at the end. Annoying continuity slips further damage the film's credibility: if you want a more effective cinematic treatment of a similar theme, try Heavenly Creatures.


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