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Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > Literature > British > Notes On A Scandal (DVD-Video)

Notes On A Scandal (DVD)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: B-     Film: B

 

 

With one of the best voiceover narrations of any recent film, Richard Eyre’s Notes On A Scandal (2006) is a fascinating, darkly witty story about two teachers whose flawed characters and volatile lives collide with stark results.  Judy Dench is veteran teacher Barbara Covett, who is not happy with her job, cannot stand the either the teachers or students she feels she is stuck dealing with and even keeps a diary to vent all of her unhappiness about her lot in life.  She is no dummy, as her exceptional use of language proves, which shows she is well aware of the depth of her misery.

 

Enter Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) as the new arriving teacher, one who is from a freer background and whose youth and beauty gets notice from the young male class members.  She is married to a slightly older man (Bill Nighy) and they have children, but she is about to get involved with a young under-aged student and only Barbara knows the secret initially.  It is one she will use to her manipulative advantage until the breaking point making this one of the best films of 2006.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is nicely shot by Chris Menges in some of his more interesting work of late.  Though it would seem a simple shoot with all of its London locales, Menges captures the sense of being there throughout and how the hallways and streets are as much a trap as a dwelling.  Note the subtle, consistent lighting throughout.  It looked great in 35mm and I can’t wait to see this in Blu-ray.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is pretty good with one of Philip Glass’ better scores of late and subtle, smart uses of surround that add to the film.  Dench’s voiceovers are very well recorded and immediately recall Malcolm McDowell’s work in Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange in their devilishness and sardonic tone.

 

Extras include a fine feature length audio commentary by director Eyre, two featurettes: The Story of Two Obsessions & Behind The Scenes, In Character with Cate Blanchett, Webisodes, Judi and Cate: Behind The Scandal, The Screenplay, pieces on Dench & Blanchett, on camera conversation with Blanchett and Bill Nighy and the original theatrical trailer.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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