Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Directed by: Richard Eyre

Starring: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, and Bill Nighy

Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) is an old battle axe.  She’s been a history teacher at a comprehensive school in London for ages.  That’s been the story of her life.  She has no family, no friends, and no relationships.  Outside of teaching, all she has is a diary.  She lives a sad, lonely life.  When Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) arrives as the new, young art teacher, Barbara believes she’s found a kindred spirit until she catches Sheba having an affair with her student Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson).  Barbara confronts Sheba and tells her to end the relationship.  As her friend, Barbara will not alert the school administrators of the affair, but she will turn the situation into the cure for her loneliness.  As Barbara keeps her friend’s dark secret, Sheba must reluctantly split her energies between her family and a lonely old woman.  Richard Eyre’s Notes on a Scandal is a dark delight.  With powerhouse performances from Dench and Blanchett, Eyre gives us a smart, sexy psychological thriller that will not disappoint.