Saturday October 20             Notes on a Scandal               15 certificate

UK, 2006           Directed by Richard Eyre, Starring Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, 92 minutes

The third of our literary adaptations to begin the season, Notes on a Scandal is a subtle psychological thriller, and another study of a relationship becoming increasingly sinister and predatory. It describes a friendship between two women. Cate Blanchett plays Sheba Hart, a middle class bohemian art teacher, well intentioned but ill equipped for the tough milieu of a London comprehensive. Judi Dench is Barbara, experienced and in control at work, but embittered and lonely in her private life, and drawn to the beautiful and privileged younger woman. Initially Sheba has the upper hand, as Barbara is needy and without the social confidence and grace of her friend. But when she discovers that Sheba has foolishly embarked on a relationship with a student, Barbara sees it as an opportunity to gain power and assume control. The ‘Notes’ of the title are those of Barbara’s diary, and her internal musings narrate the film, gradually revealing just how troubled and sinister she is. Yet the beauty of Dench’s portrayal is not only to make Barbara terrifying, but also to convey the sadness and pathos of desperate loneliness. Blanchett, too, captures her character’s complexity – captivating but also troubled, child like and hopelessly naïve. Nighy is superb as Sheba’s devastated husband, and the cinematography beautifully captures an autumnal London. Another of the year’s most enjoyable trips to the cinema, and a good chance to see it on a big screen.

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