Notes on Fatal Attraction
The trailer for Richard Eyre‘s Notes on a Scandal (Fox Searchlight, 12.25) is very nicely done, but my goodness…it’s one of those trailers that gives away 90% of the movie. I feel I’ve really and truly seen it now, on top of being instructed how obviously top-tier the performances from Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench and Bill Nighy are going to be. Now, it seems, the only thing to do is sit down and see the feature-length version. I didn’t realize how Fatal Attraction-y this was going to be, to judge from the descriptions and whatnot. It certainly seems to have been cut from the same cloth.
Agreed 100-percent, Jeff. In my winter-movie preview, running next week, I advise readers to not watch the trailer. I about threw my hands up with the flashbulbs.
Wow, it really does give a lot away. But still, I don’t think that will diminish the fevered vice grip of the actual movie.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?!?!
Jeff, seriously, HOW was this movie made? It is a complete and utter ripoff! If I was Patrick McGrath, I would sue!
Last year, there was a movie called Asylum with Natasha Richardson and Ian McKellen. Tell me if this plot sounds familiar: McKellen’s gets wind of Natasha’s love affair with a mental patient and uses it for his own obsessive devices against her. It’s based on a McGrath book and was adapted by none other than Patrick Marber, screenwriter on Notes on a Scandal.
Watching this trailer, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It’s the same movie, just with bigger stars (well, except for McKellen) and a gender twist.
Cate Blanchett playing Natasha Richardson
Judi Dench playing Ian McKellen
Bill Nighy playing Hugh Bonneville
A private school subbing for a nuthouse
Good Lord, even so-called sophisticated English dramatic thrillers are ripping each other off!
Boston, this is based on a book of the same name… and is NOT a thriller. As well, there’s no blackmail in this movie.