NOTES ON A SCANDAL

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 2 out of 5

Because of: sexual implications and content, homosexual references, profanity

Rated:

There was an enormous buzz about this film when it came out, both due to its controversial subject matter and the fact that its leading ladies were carrying acting nominations. I was naturally curious about it for a variety of reasons, and having watched it, can say that most of what the critics praised in it were spot on. It is brilliantly conceived and carried out, if somewhat distasteful in its journey toward the truth.

Respected and feared among her students, Barbara (Judi Dench) is a lonely old woman whose last friend moved to London a few months before the start of the school year. Content to remain isolated from most of the other teachers, the introduction of Sheba (Cate Blanchett) fascinates her. Unlike most of her peers, Sheba is a unique and even eccentric young woman who is attempting to make a career rather late in life, after an early marriage. Talented and creative, she inspires much in her art students but seems incapable of handling them. Breaking up a fight in the library one afternoon, Barbara is introduced to Sheba and becomes intrigued by her simple mannerisms and exotic way of life. She becomes excited when Sheba seeks to strengthen their friendship out of gratitude, inviting her to dinner. Expecting a much younger husband, Barbara is shocked when she finds that the man of the household (Bill Nighy) is only a few years younger than she is.

Happy in the knowledge that she has found a new friend and obsession, Barbara wanders out in search of Sheba one evening during a school production and sees one of her students leaving the art room, mussed. It doesn't take her long to discover that Sheba has been pulled into an affair with an underage but persistent student (Andrew Simpson). Barbara's knowledge of this, and the manipulative nature of their friendship, will cause torment and turmoil for all involved. It would be easy to write this film off as just another attempt to take advantage of a book's shock value, but it has more of an emotional punch than that. The way it is formed is brilliant, since we see most of the story through Barbara's eyes and only begin to realize after we have become a bit fond of her what an abusive, manipulative, desperate woman she truly is. It's a brave role for Judi Dench to take on, and she works it magnificently.

The value in it is that it explores a variety of sins and reveals the consequences to each action taken, from a simple angry word to much weightier issues, like Sheba becoming involved with a fifteen-year-old. Barbara is manipulative throughout, working each situation to her ultimate advantage and learning in the end that you cannot maintain true relationship through deception and cruelty. Her world comes crashing down around her and for a split second, the audience has empathy for her, until they remember what she has done. The pain and anguish suffered in Sheba's family as a result of her adultery is also shown in vivid detail. Her once-wonderful relationship with her daughter is shattered, and her husband is horrified (but ultimately learns to forgive). In that sense, it does make you think, but that alone won't be enough to convince most audiences to give it a go, and by no means do I justify any of its darker implications. 

From the beginning, more worldly viewers will sense that Barbara's fascination with Sheba isn't that of a heterosexual friendship. There are underlining but low-key hints throughout that she is searching for a new lover, not as much in the physical sense as an emotional one. It's revealed that she has stalked other women in the past. Sheba is ignorant of Barbara's true interest, which becomes more blatant toward the film's conclusion, and is in on none of their "unspoken intentions." The underlining homosexual theme aside, there are other content issues. For the most part Sheba's relationship with Stephen is discreet (although they do kiss one another on several occasions), kept so with mostly implications (they meet at the train tracks, and fool around a bit before the camera cuts away), but there is one brief mildly graphic clothed sex scene between them.

Dialogue contains about a dozen f-words, some of them used sexually. Violence is mild but driven through thematic elements. When the truth comes out, Stephen's mother storms into the house and punches Sheba in the face. After finding Barbara's journal, which notes her involvement in the scandal, Sheba tears apart the house and then screams at Barbara when she returns from the market, shoving her against a cabinet. The acting is very good and I thought their use of journaling most of the events, as well as the descriptive manner in which Barbara writes, was particularly good. The story has its vile moments, but as a student of psychology I was intrigued by its conclusions. There's more than the obvious going on in each of the leading ladies' lives, and it makes me wonder just how many other hurt, tormented souls there are wandering around in the world, looking for someone to share their life with.