Notes On A Scandal (6.5/10)

This is what happens when you take something that should be good and screw that up. Honestly I don't know what they were thinking. I rarely say I could do a better job, Michael Bay is even better at his job then I would be. Yet I know if I had the chance to edit or direct this movie I guarantee that I would have done better.

See here is why it should be great. Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy star in this film. They all do a fantastic job, there is no problem with them or the characters. The plot is interesting too. It's all about a story of the relationship between two teachers (Dench and Blanchett). While the two begin two build a friendship something terrible will drive a wedge between the two. Blanchett's character begins to sleep with a 15 year old student. Dench's character uses this information to hold over the other to become more than just a friend. There is definite themes are even talk about it in the film. However Blanchett's character is so sweet she would have been her best friend anyways, if that was enough. Once again the plot is great.

The problem lies in director Richard Eyre and score writer Phillip Glass. The two seem like they're building a thriller when it's anything but. The tone and mood is so much more dramatic and suspenseful then it should be. It's so distracting it really takes you out of the moment. The two create such a wild pace that the film follows that is brings it seriously down. The music isn't bad which is why Glass went on to receive an Oscar nomination for his work. However the it's suited for a Bourne movie, not one about a teacher and student affair.

While the film has it's negative qualities, it does shine in acting. Dench and Blanchett do give some the best work they have ever done and it's fantastic to watch them. Nicholas Hoult auditioned for the role of Stephen (the boy in question), I'd prefer him. I didn't mind the current actor but Hoult is already one of the best of his generation. I"d like to see him take on this role. This is the first time I've seen the whole movie, before I saw only half of it. All in all, this is a good movie that has some big problems.

6.5/10
Recommendation: Maybe you'll like it better than I did (tempo wise), however Dench and Blanchett do make it something to check out at one point or another.