Notes on a Scandal

Notes on a Scandal: Cate Blanchett and the “Dame” Judi Dench star in this very tense and exciting thriller. I love when such good acting in films forces you to feel uneasy as you watch. The acting performances by both lead actresses here is nothing short of spectacular. The story centers on Mrs. Hart (Blanchett), a new art teacher to a school who is befriended by one of the veteran teachers, Barbara Covett (Dench). Mrs. Hart begins an affair with one of her male students (only 15 years of age) and Barbara Covet becomes aware of the scandal. Barbara decides that she will not notify the authorities, as long as Mrs. Hart ends the affair. After their agreement, Barbara and Mrs. Hart form a stronger friendship, but Barbara has a secret agenda. I was very impressed with the writing in this movie. The characters and story are so well written – not a cliché in sight and engrossing right from the start. Dench, Blanchett, and the writer of the novel of the same name (Zoe Heller) did their homework on this one and developed characters that are so unique and believable. They are real and not at all over the top caricatures that we’ve come so used to seeing in these types of movies. The plot keeps getting more intense with every scene, building up to a final confrontation that is remarkable to watch. This is a small, focused story that is told EXTREMELY well – Make Note of it!!!!!
* * * * or Grade A

If this movie had parents they would be: The Talented Mr. Ripley & Single White Female

With a running time of 98 minutes
This film is rated R