Notes on a Scandal

[Kimley]

I just watched Notes on a Scandal on cable and thought it had a pretty good Patricia Highsmith feel to it. The Judi Dench character was a little bit Ripley, a little bit Edith (from Edith's Diary).

Has anyone read the book or any of Zoe Heller's other work?

I'm a huge Highsmith fan and curious as to whether Heller is similar.

[Esther]

I read the book.
I felt it was well written and the characters accurately drawn but there was something a bit 'bloodless' about it and the story went flat at the end.

I'm looing forward to seeing the film. I think Cate Blanchett is well cast and looking forward to Dame Judy adding real creepiness into her character.

[Kimley]

Thanks eshchory! I'll be curious to hear what you think of the film when you get to it. Every once in a while, a film is actually better than the book.

[Beth]

I read the book and saw the film, as well. The book was much lighter in tone, I thought. The movie really embraced the creepiness of Dame Judi's character, as well as the whole immorality of Cate's affair with the teenager.

An interesting story about seeing the movie: my husband and I went to a late showing of this movie. The only people in the theater were us and one guy. When the movie was over, we got up to leave. The lone guy came right up to us in the darkened theater and starting chatting us up about how much he loved the movie, and didn't Judi Dench play a great stalker! He followed us out into the lobby, babbling on and on about how beautiful Cate Blanchett was, and didn't we love Bill Nighy. He continued to follow us, right out into the parking lot, right up to our car, which was practically the only one left in the lot, as it was past midnight. We jumped in, locked the doors, and peeled out of there as fast as we could. I think he was still talking when we left.