Notes on a Scandal (2006)

This is one of those films like a great pasta dish where everything is just right but somehow you still don't feel the restaurant is justified charging $21.95 for a plate of noodles and tomato sauce. The direction is top notch, Cate Blanchett as Sheba Hart is great and Bill Nighy supporting just works. As much as I usually adore Judi Dench's acting, I thought she was a little too one-dimensional in this role. But given her choice, she executed the role with the usual Dench precision. This is a twisted love triangle story with very real characters. If you're the kind that picks up the dirt rags in the checkout line at the supermarket, you'll probably love the story. I gave it a 7 on my scale. It won't blow you away, but you won't feel like you've wasted your time either.