NOTES ON A SCANDAL

"You are my good friend"

When new teacher Sheba Hart (Blanchett) joins her high school, Barbara Covett (Dench) is instantly intrigued. This young, beautiful, energetic but naïve art teacher soon becomes the centre of addition not only for the students but the rest of the faculty. It is Barbara she bonds with however, as the experienced battle-axe, as she calls herself, offers a mentor-like ear but her duties as a friend taken to the limit when she witnesses Sheba having a liaison with a fifteen year old student. Instead of reporting her to the headmaster however, Barbara sees this as gaining a permanent friend that will never leave her and do everything she asks.

Dame Judi Dench is one of Britain's most respected and critically acclaimed actresses and you know the kind of role she usually plays but you have never seen her like this.

Based on the novel by Zoe Heller, 'Notes on a Scandal' provides Judi Dench with a role like she has never played before. The Oscar winning actress is famed for the diversity of the roles she can play. She is equally at home in costume drama, on TV or as the woman in charge of James Bond but she has never played someone like Barbara Covett.

The old battleaxe of the high school, history teacher Barbara finds solace in her lonely life in her diary, noting down her thoughts and dreams about what life has to offer her. The focus of her diary turns to new staff member Sheba Hart, a young, beautiful art teacher who soon becomes the centre of attention for the students and fellow members of staff. It is Barbara who she bonds with however and the pair forms a mentor-like relationship and a growing friendship. This all changes when Barbara witnesses Sheba being with a fifteen-year-old boy. Instead of turning her in the authorities however but uses it as leverage to make sure that Sheba is her friend forever. Manipulative, selfish and downright cruel, this is Judi Dench as you have never seen her before and she throws everything into the role.

With an actress providing a powerhouse performance, you need someone as talented for her to play off against and Cate Blanchett more than provides this. As Sheba, she is a woman of means trying to find a challenge after raising a family for the past fifteen years and she thinks that could be in teaching. Married to a much older man and with a teenage daughter and disabled son, she sees this as a way of finding a change and giving something back but she is drawn into a situation that will change her life forever. Cate Blanchett excels in the role, proving again that she is one of the best actresses working today and the film needed someone of her calibre to be able to hold her own playing opposite Judi Dench's performance.

There are also noticeable performances from Bill Nighy, as Sheba's husband who is unaware of her infidelity and questions her friendship with Barbara. This shows again that he is an extremely gifted actor who is just at home in a drama as he is in a comedy. There is also good performance from young Irish actor Andrew Simpson as the object of Sheba's affections, schoolboy Steven Connolly.

'Notes on a Scandal' is a powerful, reality and brilliantly played drama that, at sometimes, isn't easy to watch. The film pulls no punches in storyline or subject matter but it is the performances of Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett that make the film completely riveting and one that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Audio Commentary by director Richard Eyre
The man at the helm for 'Notes on a Scandal' talks about adapting the award-winning novel to the silver screen. The structure and differences between the novel and the screenplay are discussed. Most importantly he talks about casting and the performances of Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. He reveals the balance between the two characters and how the two stars approached their characterisations, playing for the most part, against type. This is a decent commentary and one that is good for a single person.

Notes on a Scandal: The Story of Obsession (12.21 mins)
Director Richard Eyre, novelist Zoë Heller, screenwriter Patrick Morber and stars Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Andrew Simpson and Bill Nighy talk about the differences between the structure of the novel and the movie script. The group reveal how this is a story of two lonely women and two types of obsession.

Notes on a Scandal: Behind the Scenes (5.12 mins)
Stars Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy talk about the characters, their relationships and the portrayal of loneliness for each of the women.

In character with Cate Blanchett (2.05 mins)
Cate Blanchett talks passionately about the project and the character that she plays.

Webisodes (13.56 mins)
Director Richard Eyre, screenwriter Patrick Morber, novelist Zoë Heller and stars Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy star is short featurettes that were made for the 'Notes on a Scandal' website.

Theatrical Trailer (2.25 mins)
Watch the preview of the movie that was shown in theatres and on the Internet.

Trailers
Previews of 'The Last King of Scotland', 'A Good Year', 'The Namesake' and 'Sunshine'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment of 'Notes of a Scandal' is one that fans should be pleased with. The commentary track is informative and the interviews and behind the scenes featurettes offer an insight into the adaptation of the novel. This is another good DVD package from Fox.

DVD

Hard Candy

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2007