I truly enjoyed Notes on a Scandal, I greatly respect Helen Mirren however I must admit Judi Dench was "robbed". Her performance as Barbara Covett was brilliant. The film is about a woman, a teacher, who becomes gradually obsessed with her younger colleague, the vivacious if immature Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), and as they get closer, Barbara realizes Sheba has been carrying an affair with a fifteen year old student. Instead of going to the police, Barbara realizes her knowledge of the affair allows her to keep Sheba close to her where her intentions are more than just friendship.
I enjoyed the writing and the performances. As I said before, Judi Dench was brilliant however what makes her turn as Barbara indelible is how she shows the many layers within. She's certainly playing a evil woman on the surface but Dench is able to show Barbara's vulnerabilities: she's desperate for a companion, she's unable to understand her homosexuality, her unhappiness over her life has made her bitter and resentful which seeps in every scene she's in. The best villains are always the most complex ones.
When it comes to Cate Blanchett as Sheba, I have to say I enjoyed seeing a film where the older woman has to face the consequences of sleeping with a minor because many films tend to glamorize it. Films like Summer of 42 or The Reader. In Notes on a Scandal, it's clear Sheba suffers from arrested development and low self-esteem and she craves to have someone tell her how special she is.
This is a fascinating and intriguing film where you might not find sympathetic leads yet you'll be interested by their actions and which direction it will lead them to.
Submitted September 27, 2017 at 03:03PM by Pedro645 http://ift.tt/2hxmE5n
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