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Moviola > Films > Notes on a Scandal
Notes on a Scandal (15) 92 mins"One woman's mistake is another's opportunity." Two women caught up in a drama of need and betrayal are at the heart of this psychological thriller. The twists and turns of the story are noted in the acerbic diary of Barbara Covett (Dame Judi Dench), a domineering and solitary teacher who rules with an iron fist over her classroom at a decaying state-run secondary school in London. Save for her cat, Portia, Barbara lives alone, without friends or confidantes - but her world changes when she meets the school's new art teacher, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett). Sheba appears to be the kindred spirit and loyal friend Barbara has always been seeking. But when she discovers that Sheba is having an incendiary affair with one of her young students (Andrew Simpson), their budding relationship takes an ominous turn. Now, as Barbara threatens to expose Sheba's terrible secret to both her husband (Bill Nighy) and the world, Barbara's own secrets and dark obsessions come tumbling to the fore, exposing the deceptions at the core of each of the women's lives. "Shrewdly adapted from Zoe Heller's best-selling novel, Notes on a Scandal grabs your attention with a gentle touch and refuses to let go. Judi Dench is truly spellbinding as the dumpy schoolteacher hiding an iron fist in a velvet glove to wheedle her way into the confidence of a younger colleague with a terrible secret (Cate Blanchett). Around these formidable women, director Richard Eyre and writer Patrick Marber craft a psychological thriller of rare delicacy." BBC Film Reviews "Sexy, aspirational and post-politically correct, Notes on a Scandal could turn out to be the Fatal Attraction of the oughties." Los Angeles Times
Last modified: 20-Jun-2008 |
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