18 February 2007

Celluloid Scribblings



Ending up with films again this time, saw "Notes On A Scandal" last week, and enjoyed it muchly. I haven't read the book, so I can't comment if director and minor National Treasure, Richard Eyre, has taken unspeakable liberties with it. I did feel that there should have been a warning to patrons that the film contains scenes of Judi Dench in a bath and that viewers of a nervous disposition should avert their eyes.

One of the greatest things about the film, and any British film really, for me, is seeing actors you just don't see on the big screen very often. In this case the excellent Phil Davis (star of the wonderful, much lamented "North Square", someone must be able to seed this to UK Nova, surely!), the reassuring Tom "George Thomason" Georgeson and the ever welcome presence of Julia "William!" MacKenzie. This last was even more surprising due the presence in the cast of Joanna Scanlan, long suffering Terri in "The Thick Of It" who is the spitting image of Ann Beach, who played "Only me, Sonia" from next door in none-more-80s sitcom "Fresh Fields".

We also managed to catch up with "Little Miss Sunshine", which is life-affirming, touching and, above all, funny. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it sneaked up on the outside to take the top gong at next week's Oscar ceremony.

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