Notes on a Scandal

[WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS]

I went to see 'Notes On A Scandal' at the Clapham Picture House last night. It leaves a greater impression from the strength of its performances, in particular that of Judy Dench's brittle and possibly dangerous Barbara, than as a coherent film. The main problem I had was the film's inconsistent attitude towards its main characters, Dench's Barbara as well as Cate Blanchett's Sheba, painting them alternately as helpless victims or scheming villains. There's a difference between ambiguity, revealing people's complex motives, and indecisiveness on the part of the filmmakers.
The film presents itself as something like a thriller, hammered home by Philip Glass's score, with Barbara the mean manipulator and Sheba the not-quite-innocent victim, but Barbara isn't a monster, she's a woman tragically unable to convey her needs and relate intimately to others. Even the final scene, showing Barbara striking up a conversation with a stranger on a park bench, was unevenly pitched. I couldn't tell if this was similar to the end of Silence Of The Lambs, seeing Hannibal Lecter wandering through a crowd (oh no she's out there, monster on the loose!), or a tragedy (has she learned nothing from her past behaviour?). It's this conflict that I believe ultimately undermines the integrity of film's tone. Worth seeing for the performances, though, all by actors at the very peak of their abilities.

Notes On A Scandal | Clapham Picture House | Judy Dench | Cate Blanchett