Notes on a Scandal (2006)

“Here come the local pubescent proles. The future plumbers, shop assistants, and doubtless the odd terrorist too. In the old days, we confiscated cigarettes and wank mags. Now it’s knives and crack cocaine. And they call it progress. ” – Barbara

Number of Times Seen – 1 (9 Feb 2017)

Brief Synopsis –A veteran high school teacher suspects that a new teacher in the school may be carrying on an affair with a student and makes a deal with her to keep it a secret.

My Take on it – I was actually a bit surprised that I had never seen this film before because I had heard of it and have always been a fan of Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett’s work.

Both of them are great here as the leads and they do a great job of making us constantly change who we root for.

The premise is done quite well and despite the fact that part of the themes are somewhat taboo, it is handled extremely well here that things feel very realistic and plausible.

The fact that the story revolves around secrets and lies and the use of information makes for a very entertaining film that is kept short so it never feels as if anything is being drawn out too much.

For a film that isn’t a thriller, they keep the twists and turns coming the whole way through so you never really know what to expect as things move forward.

Bottom Line – This is quite an interesting premise because it deals with lots of secrets and lies and how people use information to try and get what they want.  Dench and Blanchett are both great here and you never really know exactly where things are heading because they both do such wonderful jobs in these roles. The themes dealt with here are partially taboo, but they still keep things to a point where it seems somewhat plausible.  Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Jason Reitman read the script and wanted to direct it. He called up the producers on the phone with the intention of getting the job. The producers answered: “We are in editing right now, but I hope you’ll like the film when it comes out.” (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy

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