Monday, September 24, 2007

Notes on "Notes on a Scandal"

It was clear and bright this Monday morning with not a cloud in the sky.

My wife and I watched Notes on a Scandal over the weekend. The movie, starring Judi Dench as a elderly repressed authoritarian teacher in a lower class London school and Cate Blanchett as a new idealistic art teacher, was well acted, but somewhat empty. The movie is structured as a psychological thriller, but seems embarrassed about it. It is constantly explaining itself. A thriller of this sort is supported by the audiences fascination with the outrageousness of the villain. Think Silence of the Lambs. But, this movie didn't want to really be a thriller and have the audience leering at the elderly teacher. Neither would it dare explore some of the darker themes to any depth.

J

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