 A FilmExposed Film Review |
 Dir: Richard Eyre, 2006, UK, 92mins
Cast: Judi Dench, CATE BLANCHETT, Bill Nighy, Andrew Simpson
Barbara Covett (Dench) is a world-weary history teacher in an inner London comprehensive, living an isolated existence and feeling the biting effects of lonliness. Things change, however, with the arrival of young, idealistic art teacher Sheba Hart (Blanchett). Barbara’s initial cynicism towards Sheba slowly turns into friendship, before veering into darker waters with the revelation that Sheba has been conducting an affair with a 15-year-old student. A tangled web of half-truths forms, locking them into a mutually destructive deadlock as both women’s lives begin to unravel at the seams.
Set in the unglamorous locations of secondary schools and Islington homes, Notes on a Scandal occupies an unusual space within the UK production landscape. More realistic than the fa-la-la foppishness of Richard Curtis comedies or the blags and boozers ‘authenticity’ of Guy Richie and his peers, it seems remarkable to say that such a seemingly mundane story could be considered unique within British Cinema. Finally, a British film has captured some of the reality of London life, instead of creating a grossly distorted vision that the producers believe will be marketable to the US. With this basic grounding in place, Notes on a Scandal goes about creating a story which is both plausible and compelling, with every scene carefully nuanced to capture the viewer’s attention. Credit for this authenticity should be shared between the cast and film-makers, but a large portion of the praise must go to Patrick Marber, whose skilful adaptation of Zoe Heller’s novel expands the range of the original work and brings more depth to Sheba and her family.
Dench puts in a remarkable performance as Barbara – caustic, cynical and duplicitous at every turn. While her voiceover runs throughout the film, it is used to enhance, rather than supplement, a full and rounded performance. Through every gesture and expression, Dench perfectly conveys both the appearance of friendship and the darker motivations within. It’s a multi-layered performance and one that finds a perfect foil in Blanchett, who brings Sheba to life not only as a wife and mother but also as an adulteress and figure of public shame. The chemistry between the two women is utterly compelling and both performances deserve equal recognition. Credit, too, should go to the supporting cast – Nighy and Simpson in particular as husband and lover respectively.
Credibility is an oft-misused term in British cinema, but director Richard Eyre uses an everyday situation to create an utterly compelling piece of drama, full of emotion and humanity without resorting to kitchen-sink melodrama. While there are one or two questionable lines of dialogue (‘frigging’ is used once too often in scenes where something stronger would be more credible), these do not diminish the all-too believable world created by this excellent piece of British cinema. |
