Notes on a Scandal

"Notes on a Scandal" spins an intriguing web of deception involving tense scenes of misplaced love and lust with performances from Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench that have already been deemed Oscar-worthy. It's the power of these two women that carry the story.

Dench and Blanchett star as teachers at a prep school in London. Blanchett is Sheba, the new art teacher who every male at the school is drawn to. Dench is Barbara, the stodgy older teacher who eventually becomes a mentor and friend to Sheba. Of course there's much more to the story, as we learn that Sheba feels adrift in her marriage, to the point that she begins to have an affair with one of her students (Andrew Simpson). Meanwhile, Barbara develops feelings deeper than friendship for Sheba. When Barbara stumbles upon Sheba's secret, she begins to use her knowledge for her own benefit in an attempt to play a bigger role in Sheba's life. Just when she feels that she is getting closer to Sheba, she learns that the attractive art teacher is continuing to see the boy. Feeling betrayed, Barbara works to bring Sheba's world down in order to be the only person left in Sheba's life.

The storyline builds up nicely, as we watch Dench go from the matronly schoolmarm to a woman obsessed. She creates in her mind an entirely different world, where the two women are best friends heading toward a relationship. It's when her world interacts with Sheba's family that we see how they perceive her to be more of a clinging annoyance that won't go away.

When the truth comes out we get to see some of the best performances of the year. While you initially sympathize with Blanchett's character, there is a point where she goes over the top and I no longer cared for her. Dench, as always, is superb, certainly coming close to giving Helen Mirren a run for her money with the Oscar. The supporting cast steps up nicely. "Scandal" goes much deeper than a movie about a lurid student-teacher affair. In fact, that's just the set up for the darker aspect of desire and the power of deception. I give it a B+.

"Notes on a Scandal" is rated R with a running time of 98 minutes.