DVD Collectors Online

Notes on a Scandal, a review by Jon

Notes on a Scandal
4 out of 5

I felt compelled to highlight this film. You may read the overview or even the reviews and feel that although it may be worthy of all the praise, it doesn't really appeal. A short (87 minutes) British drama about a school teacher's affair with a pupil doesn't leap out as essential viewing, but it really is.

This film is worth seeing for several reasons. The note perfect acting from the whole cast is one, the sublime writing another, but I enjoyed it almost as a thriller. That's the last thing I thought I'd be describing it as, but Judi Dench portrays such a potent menacing threat as Barbara it certainly comes very close. And like the best villains, Barbara doesn't know herself.

That's what is so good about the writing; the plot is often advanced by what is not said, rather than by what is. A great deal of the tone is provided by Barbara and her diary (the titular "Notes"), written in beautifully descriptive language, but unusually for narration, it isn't the voice of the film. Her problems are very clear to the viewer. Also other angles are emphasised by overheard comments from supporting characters who aren't always on screen.

It's a very adult film. Concise, to the point, with clear distinct lines and tackling moral issues head on without any sugar coating. A masterclass in screen acting, I couldn't recommend it as an enjoyable story because it's a grim situation, but it's engrossing. And Judi Dench is scary!

(From Notes on a Scandal on November 4th, 2007)

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, a review by Antares

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) 65/100 At around the halfway mark, I stopped the film and went to the web to read about Andrew's murder. I probably shouldn't have done that, because of what happens later. But then as I started to watch the rest of the film, I became more aware of the amateurish aspect of the film making. The overbearing crescendos of music, cued at given moments to elicit the proper sadness in the viewer. The overlapping, repetitive dialog used to hammer home a point that's pretty evident. The childish use of animated lips on still photographs to highlight courtroom transcripts felt better suited to an episode of South Park. It proves why you've never heard of Kurt Kuenne as a gifted director. And finally, the laborious pacing problem that Kuenne seems to have in telling this sad, gut wrenching tale. There's a moment towards the end of the film, where he also edits into the narrative, a series of shots where the interviewees praise him through Andrew's words and this not only felt out of place, but a bit narcissistic. It's worth watching to learn the story, but I don't think I would ever re-visit it in the future.

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on May 31st, 2014)

The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

The 4400



What's the show about?
4400 people have been abducted from Earth over the years - and suddenly they all return in a great ball of lightning. But somehow they've changed. They have no recollection of what happened to them but everyone seems to have a newly aquired special ability.

"Pilot"
1939. A little girl disappears. 1951. A black soldier disappears from Korea. 2001. A teenager disappears from a beach while his cousin falls into a coma. 2004. A comet is headed directly to Earth and it's coming in hot. Every try to shoot it down fails. But then it suddenly slows down and comes in for a landing. And it brings: The 4400. 4400 people suddenly return from ... where? No one really knows. They are released to the world and they have to find their way in it - except that some of them (all of them?) are different now and the world has changed, too...

My Opinion
I've only watched the first season (yeah, all 5 episodes! ) but I liked it, but wei'll have to see how long the Freak-of-the-Week concept is going to work.

(From The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon on January 3rd, 2008)