Sorry, this movie sucks

Powerful

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This is one of the most gripping drama films I've seen in a long time. Supported by absolute class acting performances by Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, the movie explores the torment and the needs of the two women as each of them become friends and then the plots unravels the dimensions of each of these characters through gradual slips of engagement. The movie goes deep into the portrayal of the immense burden of solitude that the protagonist is surrounded with, as the screenplay functions through a narration of Barbara's diary. The background score gets a bit overbearing at times, but overall it flavours the movie with a sense of brewing emotions and turmoil. I'd say it's a sleek, profound and an intact interpretation of the novel and is a must watch for people who enjoy watching drama. It does seem like a bit dark in it's overall perspective, as the viewer doesn't feel empathetic about the tragic endings of all the characters involved.

"Notes on a Scandal" is one of my all-time favorite films. In my mind, it's perfection. Directed by Richard Eyre, and adapted by Patrick Marber from the novel by Zoe Heller, it's a film that I can never get enough of. It's as sensational and (pun intended) scandalous as a soap opera but is written with great intelligence and nuance, as well as features first-class acting. This London-set story of a lonely, bitter high-school history teacher, Barbara Covett (Judi Dench), and her twisted friendship with the school's fragile yet deviant new art teacher, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), has all sorts of layers to plumb.It was nominated for four Oscars, after its 2006 release, and one of them was for Marber's Adapted Screenplay. It was very well-deserved and he probably should've won. Eyre directs the film well, striking a balance between a minimalism that shows his theatre roots and a subtle gift for keeping the pacing alive. Yet, the true foundation of the film is the script. "Notes on a Scandal" is not only wildly entertaining and gripping but full of classic dialogue. Marber is, after all, the same man who gave us the line "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off, but it's better if you do" from his play/film "Closer." So, there's not only zingers here, mostly through Dench's impeccably delivered, acerbic voiceovers, that will make you howl but evocative lines that will make you think. For example: "It takes courage to recognize the real from the convenient." It's quite rare to see a story that is not only woman-centered but so unsentimental and brutally honest in its depiction of said women. In this, Marber sticks faithfully to Heller's novel. Barbara and Sheba are both fleshed out in three-dimensional ways, given sympathetic qualities at the same time that their unlikable, appalling, or absurd traits aren't glossed over. Some reviewers seem to have taken issue with Sheba, in particular, and why we aren't given a clear answer as to why this bright, attractive, happily married woman would sleep with her 15-year-old student, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson). But, I think that's the essential point. It's all too complicated to sum up so neatly and logically.Blanchett, who was Oscar-nominated for her performance, does a fantastic job at playing Sheba's ambiguity and complexity. She is full of yearning, vulnerability, and confusion, while also keeping us guessing, as well. Sheba has to be as much of a mystery as she is a bleeding heart and Blanchett nails this balance very well. Bill Nighy shines in his smaller role as Sheba's husband and Simpson brings a roguish, boyish charm that makes him dangerously appealing.And then there's Dench. The Great Dame received an Oscar nod for this role and many would agree that she should have won (no offense Helen Mirren). She does so much with Barbara. First off, she's utterly hilarious, dishing out dry English wit like nobody's business. Second off, she's appropriately unsettling and horrifying, not holding back from the character's creepy, controlling nature. Yet, she is also deeply empathetic. The more the film progresses, the more you forget Barbara is such a "monster". The loneliness and need that Dench grounds her in is superb.Now, Philip Glass was also Oscar-nominated for his Original Score, which I have to mention, as it seems to be quite polarizing. I personally loved it. A bit over-the-top? Yes. But, it adds to the juiciness of the movie. It kept me on the edge of my seat, in certain moments, especially during a climactic showdown between Barbara and Sheba. It helped make the film seem like an actual psychological thriller, not just a drama."Notes on a Scandal" is a movie you truly experience. One minute you're laughing, the next you're gasping, and the next you're feeling deeply for two people who you might otherwise simply judge.

When you watch good movies you hardly notice the passage of time. On the other hand bad movies are usually unpleasant experiences that seem to last forever. This movie falls into that bad category like a hand in a glove. Its running time is only 92 minutes but it will feel like you are watching a movie 3+ times longer. The only thing that kept me watching it was looking at my watch every 5 minutes wishing that I would soon see the final credits. At last I finally did but was disappointed about wasting 1.5 hours that could have been used for more entertaining things.Most reviewers of this film praise the excellent acting and screenplay but I don't know why. There are many breakdowns in this movie. I like Judi Dench but she is too old for her character. Her time has come and gone for roles like this. Despite this, Academy Award voters as recent as 2014 continue voting for her performances anyway. This is obviously the result of most of these voters being too old themselves so they don't know the difference.Cate Blanchett's overacting can't save a pitiful plot that movie goers have seen over and over again. In fact nothing can save this movie. I suggest saving yourself from the pain of wasting 90 minutes.

'Notes on a scandal' begins exhilarating. The setting of a state school where it seems to be teachers vs. students is well portrayed, especially with the eloquent voice-over of history teacher Barbara Covett (what's in a name - played wonderfully by Judi Dench) aptly describing the status quo. Since I've personally always wondered about these potentially mysterious entities in the past (school, teachers, staffroom), this really speaks to me. Enter new art teacher Sheba Hart (again, what's in a name - also wonderfully played, by Cate Blanchett) and young master Connolly taking his shirt off for her during a game of soccer in the schoolyard - let the 'games' begin...The film combines human drama with a tense thriller vibe and its tempo is relentless. It reminded me of the work of Alfred Hitchcock, but not as good and stylish (though Hitchcock did not álways deliver, either, but that is really beside the point). The latter part and the confrontation in the end between Barb and Sheba are somewhat obvious (and thus disappointing), and as I just learned that the book had (among some other aspects) a much more appropriate ending, this really stings. I also saw 'The other man' by the same director, but that one truly bored me - with again a mix of genres, but it just didn't come together for me at all.Here, there is still plenty to be enjoyed altogether; 7 out of 10.