Cringe, Cringe, Cringe. I'm a teacher so any story featuring an inappropriate teacher/student relationship makes me cringe. Anyway, I have been wanting to watch this movie since the Oscars when the film was nominated in several categories. I...
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Cringe, Cringe, Cringe. I'm a teacher so any story featuring an inappropriate teacher/student relationship makes me cringe. Anyway, I have been wanting to watch this movie since the Oscars when the film was nominated in several categories. I figured it would be worth a watch. It certainly was despite my cringing. Lesbian older mentor befriends younger, vulnerable women in hopes of finding that one true life long partner. Younger, vulnerable woman has an affair because of her feelings of mediocrity, of stalemate, of depression...but she has an affair with a high school student. In any event, Judi Dench plays the part of this obsessive woman to a tee. I could feel the frustration of husband and children as they tire of her presence. I could even feel the annoyance and dependence, at the same time, from Blanchett as she had to manuever all three of her worlds, the mother, the friend, and the lover. It's beautifully written, beautifully played, and a great watch.

I had never even heard of this film until I saw it on the cinema listings page, but it was the only thing left to see so I decided to give it a chance. I am not a keen fan of Judi Dench so I wasn't thrilled to be seeing a movie in which she...
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I had never even heard of this film until I saw it on the cinema listings page, but it was the only thing left to see so I decided to give it a chance. I am not a keen fan of Judi Dench so I wasn't thrilled to be seeing a movie in which she starred, but her role as Barbara has gained her an Oscar nomination so I thought I'd give her a chance too. I never had an expectations of Cate Blanchett - all I've seen her in is Lord of the Rings, and that wasn't exactly phenomenal acting. Finally, Bill Nighy has never been one of my favourite actors; ever since his role in Love Actually I have seen him as a pompous, arrogant actor.

How surprised I was. The acting in this film is the best I've seen in a long while; possibly the best I've seen. Bill Nighy deserves an Oscar nod for his role as Sheba's devoted husband. His acting is so realistic and authentic, it was like watching in on a real family going through the motions. Cate Blanchett was a revelation - her character was very naiive and it was very easy to feel sorry for her character, Sheba. I'm still not keen on Judi Dench but I suppose that's not a surprise as her role isn't exactly likeable - she comes across as a psychotic, demented lesbian... not exactly someone you want to be best buddies with. Finally, Andrew Simpson (17) plays the 15 year old boy Sheba has an affair with and he absolutely shone. Its bad enough kissing someone the same age as your mother, but having to do sex scenes with them?! His first real role shows incredibly potential, and I'm sure we'll see him in years to come.

Overall, this is one of the best dramas I have seen in a very long time. The acting is second to none, and it'll be hard to find another film that draws you in as much as Notes on a Scandal. At times I cringed, at other times I laughed, but most times I just sat back in awe at the sheer emotion and energy that went into it. Brilliant.

The writing is exceptional. This is to say, not the general story line or the overall structure of the dialog, no those two things are good but not above the draw. The exceptional writing comes in when Judi Dench's character is writing in her...
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The writing is exceptional. This is to say, not the general story line or the overall structure of the dialog, no those two things are good but not above the draw. The exceptional writing comes in when Judi Dench's character is writing in her notebooks. The flow of the language, the word choices. Every aspect of that section of the film is far and away superior to the rest of the movie.
The plot, simple enough, and explained by others with more zeal than I can muster, does a good job of keeping you involved. The ending though reeks of a Hollywood Producer who was staring at this with dollar signs and no concept of what the word 'tragedy' means. So many short sighted characters and they all get to go home in the end? Hardly a fitting end. Especially since Dench's character was the more dangerous of the two. The acting is superior, as it would be with this level of actors and it would seem that the over all direction was smooth and left the actors well versed in what was expected of them.

A good film with great performances by Oscar nominees Cate Blanchette and Judi Dench. Based upon the novel by Zoe Heller, the film depicts the friendship and betrayal of two teachers, Sheba Hart (played by Cate Blanchette) and Barbara Covett...
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A good film with great performances by Oscar nominees Cate Blanchette and Judi Dench. Based upon the novel by Zoe Heller, the film depicts the friendship and betrayal of two teachers, Sheba Hart (played by Cate Blanchette) and Barbara Covett (played by Judi Dench). When Sheba's affair with a 15 year old student is discovered by Barbara, the elder teacher advises the younger teacher to end it quickly. When Barbara discovers that Sheba has yet to end the affair, the elder teacher's true character is revealed, making for a great twist on an all too familiar plot. The film covers alot of ground for 132 minutes but has a good ending.