Scooter Chronicles

A few nights ago Marcia and I watched “Notes on a Scandal” starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, with co-stars Andrew Simpson and Bill Nighy.

For a synopsis of the movie, I turn to Donald Liebenson’s review which is posted at Amazon.Com as the description:

Gold stars to all for this taut psychological thriller based on Zoe Heller’s novel that that gets more insidiously twisted as it unfolds. Oscar-nominated for her chilling performance, Dame Judi Dench gives a master class as schoolteacher Barbara Covett, a frumpy, friendless, and flinty spinster who lives with her cat. A formidable presence, Barbara is standoffish with colleagues and not one for students to trifle with (not that they’d dare). Cate Blanchett, also an Oscar nominee and winner of several critics society awards for her impassioned performance, costars as Sheba Hart, the new, overwhelmed art teacher who first becomes enthrall to Barbara after she steps in to help Sheba discipline unruly students. Barbara cultivates a friendship, and insinuates herself into Sheba’s chaotic life, which includes her older husband (Bill Nighy), teenage daughter, and a son with Down’s syndrome. Then, Barbara catches the reckless Sheba in a compromising position with a 15-year-old student (Andrew Simpson). Seizing her opportunity, the calculating Barbara does not turn her in. Rather, she wants to “help” her. “She’s the one I’ve been waiting for,” she writes in the journals she meticulously keeps, and which provide, in voiceover, her corrosive commentary. This all sounds very “Fatal Attraction”, but no boiling rabbits, please; we’re British. Philip Glass’s Oscar-nominated score accentuates the growing menace. Though there is little in these characters to admire, (one would think GLAAD would have something to say about the predatory turn Barbara’s character takes), “Notes on a Scandal” is a compelling tour-de-force for its Grade-A cast.

I hate posting all of someone’s review as the synopsis, but it is a very good review that doesn’t give away too much. And essentially he hits all the points I would make. Well, except for the soundtrack. I never really paid attention to it. I know it can add so much to a scene and a bad soundtrack can bring down a scene, but it didn’t make any impression on me at all. Both Dench and Blanchett turned in great performances. The only problem I had was with Andrew Simpson. His accent was a rather heavy Irish and at times was hard to understand him. Also, one scene where he is telling Sheba that his father is beating him is totally unconvincing. However, part of that could be seen as playing a role later. But those are just minor flaws.

So all I can really say is that it’s a very good movie just like Donald Liebenson pointed out.