"Notes on a Scandal" Review

Tonight was movie night with the parents. Watched Notes on a Scandal, starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett.

The first and overwhelming response: Wow, I didn't know Judi could be that much of a *&^%$. And then, realizing that I've seen many of her movies, I know that she's not, but the fact that she could pull off such an act so convincingly just makes me even more in awe of her.

I'd read a bunch of reviews when it first hit the big screen. Aside from Judi Dench, I'm not really sure why it intrigued me. I knew that it would be dark (or darker than some movies). I knew that Judi wasn't going to be decent and nice, as she is when she plays M in Casino Royale and the other Bond movies. I knew that the basic plot line was that she knew of a co-worker in her school (Sheba, played by Cate Blanchett) who's having a tryst with a student.

I did not know that the underlying plot line was that Barbara (Judi) was looking for a lover, preferably a female one, or that she would go to such lengths to force a lover into a relationship with her.

Nonetheless, I'm amazed at the interaction between the two women on the screen. I'd recommend it, but it's certainly not a "happy, happy, joy, joy, feel-good" movie.