January 15, 2007
Notes On A Scandal
Fun and nasty little gem about the power of secrets
Starring: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Richard Eyre
Runtime: 93 minutes
Starring: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Richard Eyre
Runtime: 93 minutes
There are few things as entertaining as high camp dressed up as high art and there are few films that have accomplished this feat quite as well as Notes On A Scandal. The story concerns the relationship that forms between two teachers - a miserable older lady and her young bohemian counterpart - and the tragic events that transpire when one discovers the horrible secret that the other harbors. Notes On A Scandal touches upon serious issues (the secret in question concerns Cate Blanchett's affair with a 15-year old student) but the film never aspires to be more than hugely entertaining and it accomplishes that goal through brilliant dialogue and three of the best performances of the year. Blanchett's Sheba Hart accomplishes something extraordinary by making the audience empathetic to the plight of a pedophile while Bill Nighy brings heartbreaking pathos to the role of her older husband. The main reason to see this movie, however, is Judi Dench's vitriolic portrayal of Barbara Covett. Although Helen Mirren seems a shoe-in for Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards, I don't believe there was a finer performance by a female in 2006 then the performance that Dench delivers in this movie. Mirren's performance may be technically impressive but its staid charms are not half as entertaining as watching Dench chew on some wonderfully venomous dialogue.