by Harry Tournemille

Created on: February 15, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

It would be an unfortunate mistake to pass "Notes on a Scandal" off as a film solely cashing in on the taboo subject of affairs between teachers and students. The parallels between the storyline of Cate Blanchett's character, Sheba, and the real life cases of Canadian Heather Ingram or American Mary Kay Letourneau are obvious, but this film offers something more than base voyeurism. Sexual repression and manipulation propel the story forward, providing a window of understanding. Blanchett and Dame Judy Dench (Barbara) portray complicated, flawed characters that continuously push and pull the audience into a love/hate relationship with both of them. There is room for empathy on all sides, which is a true testament to both the script and direction as tension builds relentlessly while the story unfolds. Sometimes I felt compelled to side with Sheba; at other times I found myself more in tune with Barbara. Both are equally captivating and repugnant. But this also prevents the film from being truly great.

All films require complex characters. How else will the audience relate to them? But what if the characters end up too similar? Even if they physically look different and display dissimilar flaws, what if the balance of "good and evil" is too proportionate? In this case, the result is a lack of story resolution. The back and forth, cat and mouse manipulations going on build up brilliantly, and the acting is done with great aplomb, but the payoff is missing. Without giving the ending away, the result is predictable, and sadly anticlimactic. Why? Because the characters are so defined in advance, so entrenched in themselves, that there is no development, no sense of something big to come. Deep down inside you know how the film is going to end. Or you at least have a few options in your mind as to what the ending could be. There is an error in revealing too much about the characters too early.

This is an intelligent film to be sure; it provides some psychological understanding as to why socially unacceptable situations such as a sexual relationship between a teacher and a student can happen. And it embodies well textured themes of manipulation. On these merits alone, along with absolutely impeccable acting by the entire cast, it is well worth viewing. But its weaknesses are too great to ignore, which does pull the film down from its lofty perch, even if just a little.

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