Notes on a Scandal

Overall score:

Directed by Richard Eyre
Starring Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett
Rated R: Contains profanity and brief sexuality

It's no surprise that Notes on a Scandal has been nominated for Oscar worthy performances by Judi Dench, an Academy Award winner for Shakespeare in Love, and Cate Blanchett, an Academy Award winner for The Aviator. Both do an exceptional job at portraying their complex characters in this dramatic film by delivering an unforgettable performance inside the lives of two women dealing with their dark covets.

Notes on a Scandal narrates Barbara Covett’s (Dench) inner thoughts of her secret obsession with the newly hired young art teacher, Sheba Hart (Blanchett) at the private school they teach at. Hart mistakes Covett’s kind generous actions for a close friendship and blindly walks into Covett’s twisted desire. It isn’t until Covett discovers Hart’s affair with Steven Connolly, a student that Covett shows her more malevolent side and becomes enraged with jealously with Sheba Hart. These two intertwined plots make a film full of disloyalty, deceit, envy, and sheer lust.

The director utilizes a unique technique of having Covett disclose her thoughts to progress the film, giving the audience an advantage on the plot as it unfolds. I found this to be very effective in my understanding of the film without ruining any sense of surprise.  From the beginning scene, the audience hears her reveal her feelings as she writes in her journal. Without it, it would be hard to see her other than an unhappy elderly woman living in solitude that she plays on the outside. Covett speaks softly to her loneliness and the longing for a human touch. Her actions reflect this seclusion state. This film, driven through dark emotions, allows each character to be seen through their inner problems rather than the quick judgments of their behaviors.

The unexpected plot differs from my original assumption of the movie. The film explores the deep yearning of both Covett and Hart through their interactions with their own environment. The exposure of each character in a new manner is shown by peeling away the exterior layers of their character; Sheba Hart isn’t as good and innocent as she comes off to be, just as Barbara Covett is not as honest as she appears to be, either. I want hate to reveal what happens in this suspenseful film and ruin the nail-biting mystery. However, I will say that I thought it was done in a plausible approach with twists and turns among the characters’ intentions and actual behaviors. I found myself getting caught up in what would happen next and being satisfied by the true reality of each scene.  Eyre directed the film in the way that a slight change in plot added more suspense, holding my attention.

The careful casting for Notes on a Scandal was well done. All the actors were picked for roles that impressed me as an audience beyond an average movie. Each character spoke true to their intend behavior that the director scripted out to make this film very plausible, allowing connection with Covett, Hart, and even Connolly. The director crafts the film cautiously  by including subtle detail in the beginning that plays a major role towards the end of the film. The recurrence of the cell phone calls and “gold stars” represents foreshadowing. I found that I missed them the first time I watched it, but then made perfect sense once I caught them the second time, realizing their significance. The dialogue was true to not only each individual character, but the London setting as well, through dialect and common slang. However, I did have some trouble understanding what was being said through thick British accent, so keep your ears open.

Overall I enjoyed the film and would further recommend this film to others who enjoy a good suspenseful drama.

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Written by Shanelle Thoreson on January 23rd, 2008