Product Description

Academy Award(r) winners Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett give wickedly entertaining, Oscar-nominated performances * ? one as a woman consumed by her colleague's guilty secret, the other, a victim to her own dark obsessions ? in this sexy, stylish thriller. Dench mesmerizes as Barbara Covett, a teacher who rules over her classroom with an iron fist, yet leads a desperate, solitary life outside it. That is, until she meets radiant new art teacher Sheba Hart (Blanchett). Although at first overjoyed with her newfound kindred spirit, when Barbara discovers that Sheba is having an affair with a teenage student, her jealously and rage spiral out of control.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12942 in DVD
• Brand: TCFHE
• Released on: 2007-04-17
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 92 minutes

Features

• Academy AwardJ winners Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett give wickedly entertaining, Oscar-nominated performances - one as a woman consumed by her colleague's guilty secret, the other, a victim to her own dark obsessions - in this sexy, stylish thriller. Dench mesmerizes as Barbara Covett, a teacher who rules over herroom with an iron fist, yet leads a desperate, solitary life outside it. That is,

Amazon.com

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. --Donald Liebenson

Notes on a Scandal Extras

Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench on their characters in the film

Beyond Notes on a Scandal

Book to Movie Adaptations

More Cate Blanchett Films

What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal: A Novel

Stills from Notes on a Scandal

Customer Reviews

Chilling
This grim drama of sexual manipulation is a story where almost everyone is a victim. Judi Dench (Barbara) plays the chilling role of the lonely spinster teacher who befriends young women with the goal of possessing them. Cate Blanchett (Sheba) is a dreamy, artistic young mother, who, after years of caring for a Down's Syndrome son, goes back to work as an art teacher at a rough London school. Barbara trains her sights on Sheba as she struggles with the chaos in the school and helps her out, but then discovers a secret to hold over her.

Judi Dench manages to portray a woman who is despicable and pitiable at the same time, while Blanchett draws on our sympathy despite unforgivable transgressions. The themes are very disturbing, and there's no happy ending--Barbara moves on while the other characters pick up the pieces. Blanchett's young art student may be the only one to emerge unscathed--but I won't say more. This film is most definitely for adults only, and some will be offended by the subject matter. But Dench gives a magnificent performance, as always.

"Why shouldn't you be bad?"
Notes on a Scandal is a gripping, captivating story of two lonely women and the ragged way they fall in and out of love. Sheba, a young art teacher, who falls into a torrid affair with a 15-year-old student, ostensibly because of the disappointment and difficulties in her family life. Then Barbara, an older history teacher, who takes Sheba under her wing--or so she thinks--and is the first to know her secret. The way this story unravels is enthralling and hard to watch, but at the same time I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen. I found myself sympathizing with Sheba, though I knew her actions were wrong, because I could understand the ache of loneliness one must feel when you begin to wonder if you've made the wrong choices in your life. Similarly, though the seemingly benevolent Barbara eventually turns out to have a cruel streak, I found myself empathizing for her lack of companionship and the fact that she seemed so completely alone. Notes on a Scandal is a story about loneliness, the banality of cruelty, and the harsh reality of living and accepting the choices you've made. It's an excellent film and kept me entertained from start to finish.

Clash Of The Acting Titans--"Scandal" Lacks Important Insight, But Offers Melodramatic Fun
One of the more critically lauded pictures of 2006, I was primarily interested in "Notes on a Scandal" for its Oscar nominated screenplay by Patrick Marber. Previously having brought "Closer" to the screen, I was eager to see his follow up. I know "Closer" had its detractors--but for me the writing was scathingly funny and refreshingly adult. And the concept behind "Notes" also sounded intriguingly grown-up. Let's be honest--who wouldn't want to see Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench square off? Emotionally and physically, this could be a battle of two of our most respected actresses. And while I did admire much of the film, the thing that ultimately disappointed me was the screenplay--and the aspects of character motivation that it doesn't bother to address.

"Scandal" introduces us to Blanchett, a new art teacher at the local high school. Awkward to her new position, she is something of a joke to a more experienced faculty member (played by Dench). Dench is a stern disciplinarian, and one day assists Blanchett with a confrontation. Captivated by the naivete of the new teacher, Dench takes her under her wing. Forming a personal friendship, Dench even visits Blanchett's home and spends time with her family. Clearly yearning for an even closer friendship, Dench is startled to discover Blanchett is carrying on a sexual liaison with one of her students. Instead of turning her in, though, she uses the knowledge to gain psychological control over Blanchett. What follows is a battle of wills as the truth begins to emerge--both about the scandal and about Dench's ulterior motives.

I certainly think that "Notes On a Scandal" is a good movie bolstered by strong performances. I don't think, however, that it's quite as perfect as some people would make out. Blanchett's Sheba is such a superficial character--right down to the artificiality, the staginess, of her name. Blanchett does what she can to make the character appealing, but in no way do we ever really understand her motivations. Her casual indifference to putting her family and livelihood on the line is never explained, and we aren't invited to see anything deeper than what the character puts out for the rest of the world. Why is she married to a man old enough to be her father? What keeps her involved in teaching when it seems an uncomfortable fit? Why would this seemingly lovely woman, with a happy (by all appearances) home life, sacrifice everything to commit a crime? Why does she willfully engage in an act society would judge as morally reprehensible? Keeping Sheba an enigma didn't ruin the film for me, but it did keep me at arm's length. Lacking a basic understanding of the "scandal" referenced in the title definitely kept this entertaining film from being "great" and insightful--at least to me.

Judi Dench does have a field day, however. Rarely cast in a villainous light, Dench really sinks her teeth into this meaty role. Without make-up and looking every bit her age, it's a vanity free performance. At first, dismissive and condescending to her new colleague, she lights up at a potential friendship with Sheba. Then when the scandal breaks, she takes it as a great opportunity to insinuate herself even further into Sheba's life. The undertones of attraction and loathing are well played, and her menace increases as her desire to control Sheba becomes more apparent. I recommend "Notes" not as high art--but as a study in conflicting acting styles, and to see two great actresses go head to head. Like Crawford and Davis in "Baby Jane," I was more fascinated by performance than film. But that said, "Notes" is still a good movie--it just had the potential to be of much greater emotional impact with stronger psychological implications. KGHarris, 02/07.