Notes on a Scandal

Notes on a Scandal ****

"Notes on a Scandal" features three of the best performances that I have seen all year, by three actors that I don't expect anything less of-Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, and Bill Nighy. Out of the three of them, it is Bill Nighy that will probably end up being a footnote in most reviews, but he deserves a top billing almost as much as the two ladies have. It is an intelligent thriller, with a great script that rises above what could have easily been a silly and Hollywood-ized ending. Instead, this one ends up being something unpredictable, and something worth seeing.

"Notes on a Scandal" is told through the eyes of Barbara Covett(thou shall not covet thy neighbors wife. . . ), a sixty something lesbian history teacher played by Judi Dench. Barbara has been observing Sheba Hart, the new art teacher in the school, and is obviously smitten with her. Barbara gets Sheba's attention after splitting up a fight between two students, and Sheba invites her over to dinner, with her husband Richard, and her two children, one of whom has Down Syndrome. Barbara and Sheba do become friends, but everything changes when Barbara catches Sheba having sex with one of her students, the fifteen year old Steven, who even ends up fighting with other kids whenever they make sexually suggestive remarks towards Sheba. Barbara decides to use this information to her advantage, as when she tells Sheba that she knows about her secret, Sheba is willing to do anything possible to ensure her safety. Barbara begins to make sure that Sheba spends a lot of time with her, and when she finds out terrible news about her cat, who needs to be put to sleep, she expects Sheba to drop everything she is doing and be there for her, but when Sheba has other things that need to be done, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Judi Dench is vastly different here than her last role in "Casino Royale," and it is obvious that that film was more for fun-but this is the one that is going to be remembered. "Notes on a Scandal" is a character film disguised as a thriller to appeal to the masses, as every central character here is worth writing an essay about. Everything is very subtle, and trying to catch every little detail said about Sheba, Barbara, and even Richard is tricky, and may require a few viewings. Sheba has quite the past-former Goth in school, and she even ended up marrying her older teacher from university. Barbara is a little more tricky as she tells the story from her point of view-but from the other teachers at the school she has had her heart broken once, and it was messy. I'm glad this shifts away from some obvious obsession cliches-for example Barbara's cat was actually sick, and nothing something that she lied about, or even brought about to cause. In a lesser film, Barbara would have done something bad to her cat just so that she could have time with Sheba-Barbara is too intelligent for that. She just lets nature run its course with everything.

Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett are very good here, but I think Dench has the real chance of going home with an award. Cate "Woman of a Thousand Faces" Blanchett once again sheds any type of remembrance from past characters she played-especially the other two from this year-"Babel" and "The Good German." She is the rare beauty that is not only mysteriously stunning, but also one of the best working actresses around. And Bill Nighy is terrific, and his character also skips the thriller cliche. He could have been the clueless and dimwitted husband, but he is a genuinely nice man-one who is good natured and really does make you question all of Sheba's actions. Sheba tries to convince the viewer that she is doing this because she deserves to have a little fun with her burdened present, but seeing Richard and how faithful and kind he is does make you wonder if it really is burdened. The scenes where he explodes with fury after learning "the truth" are filled with extreme emotion, and they really do blow you away. He really doesn't get much attention. Andrew Simpson, also known as the luckiest boy in the world in this case, is decent as the schoolboy, but compared to the experience he doesn't stick out, which is both a good and bad thing. Lastly, Phillip Glass does a beautiful score a usual, and he doesn't neglect loud violins and strings at the most dramatic times. The combination of the great acting and the great music make some scenes extremely powerful. "Notes on a Scandal" is a top notch film. It's the intelligent man's thriller, and a great character(s) study(ies).