MOVIE REVIEW: Notes on a Scandal 2006
Crotchety old history teacher Barbara Covett (Dame Judi Dench) is a lonely spinster who is highly regarded, yet feared at the school where she teaches. The school is a haven for troubled kids and Barbara has very little sympathy for them. At the start of the Fall semester, a beautiful new art teacher Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), sparks the interest of faculty and students alike. Barbara is instantly mesmerized by Sheba and they become fast friends. Barbara even becomes a fixture in the Hart household, acting as a make-shift “aunt” to their children. What Sheba doesn’t know is that Barbara is keeping a personal diary of their friendship and is secretly plotting to make Sheba her love muffin. During a school production, Barbara discovers that Sheba is having an affair with 15 year-old student Stephen Connolly (Andrew Simpson)whom she refers to as “The Leprechaun” (snort). Barbara swears that she will remain silent about the affair as long as Sheba promises to end it. Sheba does not heed Barbara’s warnings and continues to see her teenage paramour. Barbara sees this as an opportunity to land her prize catch using emotional blackmail as bait. Will Barbara capture her blonde goose or will she send Sheba running in the opposite direction? No more spoilers from me y’all!
Woo hoo! This film is awesome. The Oscar nominations for both Cate Blanchett and Dame Judi Dench are well deserved, especially in the case of Ms. Dench. This is clearly her vehicle and she has no problem taking the lead. She is deliciously evil as the lonely school marm with latent lesbian tendencies. She's usually so well put together, so it was shocking to see her look every bit of her 72 years. Cate Blanchett is terrific as a Bohemian gal stuck in the mundane world of suburbia. The young man who played Stephen Connolly did a fantastic job and he certainly looked all of fifteen. I really appreciated that they didn’t resort to cheap shocks to heighten the drama. The delicate subject matter was handled very well and it allowed you to get immersed into the characters without being overly angered by Sheba’s actions. There was never a dull moment and I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. I had to go to the bathroom so bad but didn’t move for fear I’d miss something lol. The ending satisfied and I did not feel cheated. In summary: GO SEE THIS FILM!!!!
VERDICT: 4 Soul Claps!
Labels: Movie Reviews
This entry was posted
on Monday, January 29, 2007 at 1:45 PM.
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