5-Star Obsession

Crisp and clever script, brilliant direction, tour-de-force acting and dark humor blend effortlessly in this film, destined to snag awards on Big O night.



Not to diminsh Blanchett's incredible performace but Dame Judi Dench owned this one from start to finish. From sudden madness to awkward desperation to soft concern, her deadly accurate delivery and unnerving ability to strike just the right emotional chord with an audience are amazing. I still liked Mrs. Brown better overall but Notes On A Scandal was a huge sweep for Dench.

As Ryan had mentioned in his review, the ending is somewhat a studio template, primered and unpainted, that bothered me a little. But the ending is a soft landing much as the opening is a quiet launch, so at least it was balanced in terms of energy. What also bothered me a tiny bit were how quietly the plot wrinkles were delivered, considering the huge and immediate impact they had on the story. But these are minor in the end.

I'm not going to mention any plot details since the surprising twists are key to enjoying this one.

Make it a gold star day! (you'll understand the reference later :)

9.5/10

Notes On A Scandal