Notes on a Scandal 2006

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: Notes on a Scandal's resolution is a bit less challenging than the finale of Heller's novel, but for the most part it's equally scathing, a nasty little peek into the worst of human behavior. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Notes on a Scandal emerges as a remarkable character study: difficult to watch, impossible to look away. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: The film itself settles for one level of pulp satisfaction, but Dench and Blanchett transcend it. Read more

David Germain, Associated Press: It's a grand thing to watch these two Academy Award winners, who easily could be back in Oscar contention with this film, have at each other. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Time Out: Richard Eyre's direction merely plays up the melodramatic aspects of Zoe Heller's novel, screenwriter Patrick Marber's acidic dialogue occasionally slips into the overwritten, and the rest of the cast gamely chews table scraps. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: An exquisitely dark comedy of manners and morals. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: The skillful Patrick Marber adapted this gripping drama from a novel by Zoe Heller, and it's both literate and urgently plotted, with a voice-over from Dench that cuts like broken glass. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: The screenplay has a bracing tincture of Grand Guignol, and nothing is simple when the two women are played by a couple of superlative actresses who clearly delight in one another. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: While Glenn Close played her Fatal Attraction character's 'I will not be ignored' psycho-obsession out front and out loud, Dench does it as subtext, making it all the more insidious, frightening ... and fascinating. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: A lot is wrong about Notes On A Scandal, starting with a frenetic Phillip Glass score that absurdly heightens nearly every scene in which it's used, squeezing the wit out of what might've been a wicked black comedy. Read more

Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: The movie serves as a convenient locale for Dench and Blanchett to showcase their abilities, but it could be more involving. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: You'll want to take a shower after Notes on a Scandal, but you'll be glad you got dirty. Read more

Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times: Sexy, aspirational and post-politically correct, Notes on a Scandal could turn out to be the Fatal Attraction of the oughties. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: Dramatic overstatement saturates just about every piece of this production. Even that master of orchestral pop minimalism, Philip Glass, managed to write a score that slinks into the dark shadows of old gothic witchery. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Blanchett has also recently appeared in The Good German and Babel, but this represents far and away her best work. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: The writers and the actors have just enough sympathy for their characters to keep Notes from deteriorating into a comedy of horrible manners. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It's a poison bonbon tastier than just about anything else out there. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Almost unbearably tense as the relationship between cat and mouse takes completely unexpected, if completely believable, turns. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: Ms. Dench is scary good, a collection of withering glances and quiet delusion accentuated by a wickedly funny voice-over. Ms. Blanchett matches her step for step. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Smart and brash, it's a picture Bette Davis and Joan Crawford would have killed (preferably each other) to be in. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Setting aside the scads of preposterous plot contrivance, Patrick Marber's screenplay is full of jaundiced cleverness about England's class system, but that's far from enough to save this disreputable movie. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: When an actress raises the bar of her craft as vertiginously high as Judi Dench, it can be a bit dizzy-making for an audience whenever she insists on topping herself. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: Notes on a Scandal is another squirm-und-drang movie: too creepy-sad to be a comedy, too intense to watch quietly, without letting out frequent whoops. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: A refreshingly literate, cold-blooded drama. Read more

Jack Mathews, New York Daily News: This being Oscar season, we must point out that Dench and Blanchett are two of your finalists. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: This compact, fierce and frightening domestic thriller is the most violent film in many a day. The rage is in the angry words, the deepest thoughts of its 'heroine,' and the fear about what might come from those words is palpable. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: In order to propel circumstances to a conclusion, Notes on a Scandal relies upon a contrivance so ugly and obvious that it's impossible to ignore. Read more

Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle: Notes on a Scandal won't be everyone's cup of tea. But if you like your films strong, this one is not to be missed. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: It's a thrill to see powerhouse actresses lock horns in an emotional battle royal, and Notes on a Scandal gives us two of England's finest in pitched combat. Read more

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: It is a chilling, memorable performance by Dame Judith, who will earn many award nominations, as should Blanchett. They are the perhaps the most impressive acting duo in any film of 2006. And Bill Nighy is their equal. Read more

TIME Magazine: Dench is nothing less than great in this role. It's hard to recall a recent performance of such unrelenting ferocity, such a thoroughgoing devotion to the domination of another life. Read more

Jessica Winter, Time Out: Bill Nighy is stunning in the small but pivotal role of Sheba's devastated husband, and Dench locates the desperate pathos in Barbara's malevolence. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: A tour de force performance by Judi Dench drives the film, but Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy also are marvelous in powerful, if more restrained, roles. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: A deviously entertaining account of one woman's indiscretions as related by a not-so-disinterested third party. Read more

Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice: Everyone's a predator in this tale. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: [Features] a point of view that is somewhat gimlet-eyed and offered with absolutely no sentimentality whatsoever. Read more