Hello,
I don't take myself to the pictures that often, it's just something I never seem to get round to. Also working full time makes it a little awkward as I prefer to go during the day- fewer people means less chewing and slurping. Like I said in my last post I am sensitive to noise.
Today, however I made the most of my freedom and went to see Notes On A Scandal. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how 'must see' this film is, mainly for Judi Dench's performance as the bitter, witty, obsessive and downright terrifying Barbara Covett. It's the sort of film one could imagine Bette Davis starring in.
Cate Blanchett was also on fine form is the dippy, boho, middle class Sheba Hart. The expression of total shock and confusion on her face when she fully grasps the nature of Barbara's obsession with her and the central part it's played in her downfall is worthy of an award in itself.
The film's weakness for me was that Sheba's affair with her pupil seemed to happen too quickly. For all the obvious stresses and strains in her life, her marriage didn't seem all that awful. Whilst I can see why she would find the boy attractive, I couldn't quite work out why that became so overpowering that she acted on it. It may have been a bit more believable if she'd been seen to wrestle with her conscience more. That said, the film is more about the relationship between the two women, the affair merely served to give Barbara something with which to control Sheba.
I read the book some years ago, so my memory of it is a bit hazy, though I do recall enjoying it immensely. For what it's worth I would recommend both the book and the film, though they may be of more interest to my female readers than the chaps.
**If you haven't done so already please read the comments below my last post. David Duff has contributed a tale of suburban warfare that I can do no better than describe as hilarious, though I fear an ASBO may follow if anything like this were to happen again.**
3 comments:
Judi Dench is damn fine. I might go and see it just for her performance. If it even comes here.
It was an excellent film, but let down slightly I thought by the ending, which was overdone. SPOILER:
IMO Dench should have simply sat on the bench and said 'I used to know her', and smiled, rather than all that sudden let's-go-on-a-date stuff. Sometimes the audience like to imagine what happens next for themselves and don't need it spelled out for them.
A great film and performance, though as Rachel says the ending veered a little near to OTT.
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