Notes On A Scandal I would like to say, right off the bat, that I am not a fan of Phillip Glass. I have listened to some of his compositions from time to time, but overall I find his music to be irritating and somewhat repetitive. His score for Notes on a Scandal did not really grate on my nerves, but I do not remember it adding a lot either.
If you are up to see a soap opera type of movie then this movie might be cup of tea. The movie's plot reminded me of a clever rewrite of Othello , but the movie never really rises to that level. The characters are all chasing things that they cannot have. To give away a little of the plot, Barbara Covett (played very well by Judi Dench who you may have seen in the new Casino Royale ) lusts after the new school teacher Sheba Hart (played by Cate Blanchett who has been in a lot of big films in the last couple of years, I bet her calendar book is full). Of course there is the little matter that Barbara is a lesbian and that Sheba is not. You can always dream can't you? This could have been one hell of an interesting little movie, but I think the specifics of the plot pushed me further out than I was willing to go.
Even though I fought against the specifics of the plot, the movie is never muddled, and it is easy to follow. The cast did a good job with the material they were given. This movie should have tied you up in knots and on the edge of your seat (one reason why I love the Sopranos , I can't think of any movie or TV show that makes your heart break like the Sopranos does) but I never reached that point. I did like that all the characters are moving in totally separate directions and by totally different motivations, but you wait for a payoff that never arrives. When the movie ends we are right back where we started, except for that we have learned that if you are going to lust after someone and are going to try and capture their affection, make sure you check to see that you are actually the sex that they are interested in being with first (I have found this advice to come in very handy at certain times of the day).
You can write James Harper at movielover77061@yahoo.com |
