What is Cate Blanchett for? Review of Notes on a Scandal
Directed by Richard Eyre, starring Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy.
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What is Cate Blanchett for? Review of Notes on a Scandal Directed by Richard Eyre, starring Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy. |
by Paul Murphy
Cate Blanchett has been given many juicy roles in many major films, still gives pause to wonder what exactly she’s for? Is she any more than a pretty face? Up until this film the answer was no, but in ‘Notes on a Scandal’ Blanchett (Sheba Hart) proves that she can act – a bit. So can Dench (Barbara Covett), a lesbian caricature. Acting is foregrounded mainly because of the complete dislocation of the film’s action from any historical, cultural references. The action could have taken place at any time in the last 50 years. The tale is one of inappropriate behaviour and a host of characters at some stage of unpleasantness (Dench), incompleteness (Blanchett), damaged, battered out of shape, distorted. In short, Blanchett has an affair with a student, who happens to be a minor. Being in loco parentis Dench uncovers everything and threatens/blackmails Blanchett until she exposes what she knows and Blanchett is gaoled. Dench portrays an objectionable caricature perhaps but her ‘wickedness’ and ‘perversity’ is perfectly portrayed. ‘Notes on a Scandal’ has a dynamic, genuine action that can be thrilling where many Hollywood action hero films fail to be. This is palpably a result of the amazing acting, perfected in its realism/verisimilitude yet capable of a bizarre tragic grimness as solemnly terrible, rising beyond the smallness of the characters, their sordid, tragic and small actions. But also because this sordid tale of small institution politics is so true to life, we can all identify elements from our own experiences. The film grounds all of the necessary elements and does not strive too hard to make its effects. It demonstrates that technological wizardry has nothing to do with great film-making, but that fine acting and a fine script has.
Paul Murphy saw Notes on a Scandal at the Duke of York cinema in Brighton.