Notes on a Scandal: In Review

Thoroughly enjoyed every second of this movie. I made the mistake of sitting down to watch with a full plate of my mom's spaghetti (my favorite food, she makes the BEST sauce), but had to stop five minutes into it because I couldn't eat and watch at the same time. The dialogue, particularly the narration by Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) as written her diary, was THAT engrossing.

The subject matter is sensitive, as it is about a school teacher, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), who has an affair with her fifteen-year-old student. But the film is actually about the relationship between Barbara Covett and Sheba Hart. Barbara, an older teacher at the same school, London's St. George School, has this to say about her students as she watches them walk into school:

"Here come the local pubescent prowls. The future plumbers, shop assistants, and probably terrorists too. In the old days, we confiscated cigarettes and whack mags. Now it's knives and crack cocaine. And they call it progress."

When Sheba comes to the school as a new art teacher, Barbara has nothing but nasty observations to document in her diary:

"Hard to read the wispy novice. Is she a sphinx or simply stupid? Artfully disheveled today. The tweedy tramp coat is an abhorrence. It seems to say ‘I’m just like you.’ But clearly she’s not. A fey person, I suspect. Fey. She’s certainly rippled the waters in our stagnant pond. They flock to her. Even limp little Brian had a go. Oh, the horror. And Fatty Hodges pounced on her. A dubious double act. The blonde and the pig in knickers."

Yet when Sheba wants to be friends, Barbara quickly becomes receptive to her. Their friendship intensifies when Barbara learns of Sheba's affair and grows from there; I don't want to reveal too much of the plotline here.

One of my favorite quotes by Barbara, as she converses with Sheba:

"People anguish for years with partners who are clearly from another planet. We want so much to believe that we've found our other. It takes courage to recognize the real as opposed to the convenient."

The well-stated reality of life.

Acting performances by Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett are outstanding. Fond appreciation of the unpredictable, eloquent dialogue. Possibly a few holes in the storyline, but excellent film.