Notes on a Scandal - Gripping Adult Drama

"Notes on a Scandal" is a rarity for today's moviegoers - It is an intelligent drama for adults. There are no car chases or explosions within a mile of this movie and that's a refreshing change. What it does have is a tightly written script and three performances worth remembering at Academy Awards time.

Judi Dench stars as a high school teacher who has seen it all more then once. On the first day of school she meets a new teacher (Cate Blanchett) and the two strike up a small friendship. Dench is a lonely woman who spends most of her time home alone caring for her aging cat and writing every detail of her life in a diary.

Blanchett, on the other hand, is a woman fiercely devoted to her husband, (Bill Nighy), a not altogether successful writer, and her two children, one of whom has Down's syndrome. Blanchett has taken this teaching job as a way to get out of the house for a few hours but still feel she is contributing to her family and to her own life that has turned out not quite the way she planned.

Blanchett's life is about to change more then she could ever dream. First, a simple lunch with Dench balloons into a friendship that becomes more then a little obsessive on Dench's part. Whether there is any sexual inclination is hinted at but never fully addressed, which keeps the air of mystery alive. Soon Dench is showing up for Sunday dinners and intruding on Blanchett's life in every facet. When her cat becomes ill she turns to her new friend and is appalled when she is rebuffed in favor of a school play in which the young man with Down's syndrome is appearing.

Blanchett also begins a most inappropriate relationship with a troubled young student. She knows the risk of being caught and what the consequences are but that seems to fuel her desire to act dangerously. Soon enough Dench catches wind of what is happening and uses her knowledge to emotionally blackmail Blanchett into being a best friend.

This is where "Notes on a Scandal" takes an unexpected and original turn. We get to know these two women to the core and what they are capable of and soon we discover (as do they) that they are capable of things they never realized.

The performances here are first rate. Judi Dench continually reminds us that she is one of our greatest actresses capable of playing everything from royalty (Shakespeare In Love) to M in the last several James Bond movies. Wasn't one of the best moments in "Casino Royale" when M berates Bond for a silly and careless killing? Here Dench demonstrates her toughness as well as her vulnerability. She conveys great care all the while controlling everything for her benefit. When she feels it may be falling apart she reacts like a cornered animal. Dench should be nominated (again) for Best Actress for this role.

On the other side of the coin in Cate Blanchett who is proving that she is one of the best young actresses we have. She has played everything from royalty (Elizabeth) to a stubborn journalist (Veronica Guerin) to Katherine Hepburn (her Oscar winning role in "The Aviator'). Currently she can also be seen in "The Good German" as a German seductress - a role that is miles apart from this one in which she is just as compelling.

Let me now speak of British actor Bill Nighy, who has a smaller but just as crucial role in the film as Dench or Blanchett. Here he plays Blanchett's husband, a good man who hasn't lived up to his own dreams but carries on as a faithful husband and caring father. In a crucial scene Nighy discovers Blanchett's secret and plays it with despair and anger that one can only imagine if they have never felt as betrayed as him. Nighy is a longtime stage actor who made a splash in America in the comedy "Love Actually," where he played an over aged pop singer looking for a comeback. He stole the show from such terrific actors as Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Laura Linney. He has since contributed to several other films but here he is at his best. The Supporting Actor category is filled with great possibilities and Nighy should be among them. Chances are he won't make the cut but he is assured of getting there one of these days.

"Notes on a Scandal" is a film for people that like strong drama told at a smooth, deliberate pace. Its rewards are great and the movie is one of the best films of 2006.