Movie Watch! - Swimming Pool and Notes on a Scandal

1) Swimming Pool (2003) - I've been meaning to watch this for years ever since The Seattle Times movie critic said it had one of the best endings for a film that she had seen in a long time. She was right. It throws you for a loop. Charlotte Rampling plays Sarah Morton, a successful British murder mystery author who is allowed to take a working vacation alone in a lovely cottage that her publisher owns in the French countryside. However, a few days into her peaceful stay, she is joined by her publisher's French daughter, Julie (played by the simultaneously haunting and stunning Ludivine Sagnier). Sarah is disturbed by Julie's wild child ways and pissed as hell that it's distracting her from her work. Craziness ensues, and I can't say anything else. But it was enjoyable. 7/10

2) Notes on a Scandal (2006) - Holy shit. Judi Dench is the shit! In the unbelievably creepy, do-people-like-that-actually-exist? kind of way, that is. She is one of the most amazing actresses of our times. In fact, she is one of the very few actresses in the world right now who can stand up to Cate Blanchett and steal the scene away. She's that good. This movie was entrancing, captivating, maybe even a little frightening. Phillip Glass composed the soundtrack, and its just amazing. Definitely worth a watch. 8/10