Marshall and the Movies

“Notes on a Scandal” is this week’s F.I.L.M (First-Class, Independent Little-Known Movie).  The movie opened in 2006, and it barely received a wide release.  It didn’t exactly light the box office on fire, but the right people took notice and nominated it for 4 Oscars, including Best Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), and Best Actress (Judi Dench).

I watched “Notes on a Scandal” with very little knowledge of the plot, but little did I know that a shockingly provocative movie was awaiting me.  The movie revolves around the themes of passion, jealousy, and greed, but it uses pedophilia, lesbianism, and adultery to highlight them (yet another movie I recommend with discretion).  The script is practically immaculate, but the movie soars to great heights mostly because of its incredible performances.  Dench takes the lead and creates a character that you can really loathe, yet she infuses the crotchety old hag with enough warmth to make you feel the tiniest bit of sympathy.  Blanchett reminds us why she is one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood with an absolutely dynamite performance.

The movie will undoubtedly remind you of “Doubt,” but replace doubt with certainty.  Barbara Covett (Dench) catches her fellow teacher Sheba Hart (Blanchett) involved in a sexual act with one of her teenage students.  Rather than report the relationship, Barbara decides to befriend Sheba and help her.  Sheba reveals all to her colleague, and her deplorable rationale will assuredly lead you to hate her.  But as events continue to unfold, Barbara’s true motives begin to surface, exposing her to be practically The Joker with wrinkled skin.  Unfortunately, Sheba is so distraught that she falls right into Barbara’s web of deceit.  But as the film draws to a conclusion, we are never sure who is the hero or villain, much less who is doing the right thing.

“Notes on a Scandal” is a movie that will remind you of Hollywood’s dearth of thought-provoking films.  Guaranteed to get your mind racing and your heart pumping, it provides an intimate portrait of emotions that we so often try to hide.  At a slim 92 minutes, it is a good rental if you want to watch a movie that you can still be pondering next week.