NOTES ON A SCANDAL
4 out of 5 stars

this one actually gets an extra star because dame judi dench and cate blanchett really deliver powerful performances in a film about a sex scandal at a british school... we see it in the news every day: teacher and student affairs. it’s sick and makes my stomach turn, but this film, performances alone, is just divine! (plus a month ago, a teacher got busted at a HS down the st. from where i live! CRAZY...)



we start with our narrator: barbara covett. (played by the magnificent judi dench) a veteran history teacher, with a sharp tongue and bitter outlook on the british school system. (picture a really bitchy and drab-looking umbridge from the harry potter series) she HATES her job, and even so, HATES the students even more... she has no friends, no family. just a cat named portia and her little diary. then, comes along...sheba hart. (played by the beautiful cate blanchett) fresh, idealistic, beautiful, novice art teacher who decides to befriend lonely barbara. basically, one gesture of good will and friendliness turns sour when barbara realizes she likes sheba...beyond something platonic... (AKA she’s a closeted lesbian)


then, we get to the juicy part. we find out that sheba has been sleeping with one of her students, and when barbara finds out, she doesn’t just report it to the police. she decides to use this secret to her own advantage. because the entire film is essentially barbara’s POV, we begin to see what a deranged and manipulative person she really is... it almost seems like sheba is blind to this, when the rest of her family seem to see this quite clearly. (there’s a funny scene where we hear her daughter and husband complain about barbara being around ALL THE TIME...)


i’d only recommend this for those who are into psychological thriller-like genres and the like. this one isn’t so much of a thriller (no mystery here), but it’s interesting looking into the mind of a weird person... ;)