Notes on a Scandal
December 9th, 2006
Drama about a teacher in a frustrated marriage (Cate Blanchett) who begins an affair with a 15-year-old student, and the bitter old spinster (Judi Dench) who develops an unhealthy crush on her. It’s all told in the voice of Dench’s journal entries, which provide a cynical counterpoint to the slightly pathetic front she puts on. But whoever wrote this thing (Patrick Marber, based on a novel by Zoe Heller) takes Dench’s character much too far into the schlocky B-movie territory of Fatal Attraction or any number of insane-babysitter movies. We’re left with a very well-acted popcorn flick, ripped, I’m sure, from some headline or other. Opens December 27.
Notes on a Scandal. Richard Eyre, 2006. **
[tags]2 stars, film, drama, england, judi dench, cate blanchett, bill nighy, teachers, kids, affairs, obsession, richard eyre, zoe heller[/tags]
Backstage
November 28th, 2006
The amazing Isild Le Besco plays the smitten fan of a pop diva (Emmanuelle Seigner) who stalks the star after a misbegotten reality TV encounter and ends up as her maniac mascot in the hotel room where Seigner is gobbling pills and hiding from the cruel, cruel world. Hothouse passions & overripe desire make this slightly silly but very watchable. Le Besco and Seigner are both fascinating. Currently playing at Film Forum. Trailer. RT.
Backstage. Emmanuelle Bercot, 2005. ***
[tags]french, film, 3 stars, emmanuelle bercot, emmanuelle seigner, isild le besco, stalkers, obsession, celebrity[/tags]
