April 25, 2008

Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Brilliant masterpiece with amazing performances by Dench as the crazy psycho bitch cat-lady and Blanchett as the emotionally wrecked dyke-bait that gets caught dipping her hand in the young-schoolboy jar. Bill Nighy shines as well in supporting performance of the deadbeat older husband that appropriately explodes when needed as the emotional storm escalates. Overall very good atmosphere à la Little Children, and a very disturbing yet very effective feeling of 'stranger trying to infiltrate your life more than you'd like'. Think Robin Williams' character in One Hour Photo channelled through an elderly British schoolteacher's admiration for a young perky bohemian colleague. The whole thing is narrated by Dench's voice corresponding to her journal, which is basically the journal of an obsessive yet very eloquent psycho stalker. Thoroughly enjoyed it as it unravelled at a nice pace and the ending was, I found, only natural, but deliciously disturbing. This isn't the feelgood movie of the year but it sure is a much needed dose of psychological candy for the rest of us.