Acting transforms trite film

Much like “Brokeback Mountain” was referred to as the gay cowboy movie, “Notes on a Scandal” is jokingly referred to as the psycho lesbian movie.

With the Oscar nominations coming out this past week, movie viewers have headed to independent film-showing theaters to see the movies that actually have a plot instead of just special effects and big celebrities. “Notes on a Scandal” is one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2006 and has earned several million dollars as a result of its accolades.

The film was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. Accomplished British actress Dame Judi Dench is the lead role opposite another British favorite Cate Blanchett. These two acting powerhouses give the majority of the film its acclaim.

Adapted from a Zoë Heller novel of the same title, the story is narrated by Barbara (Dench), a lonely teacher in her early sixties who seems typical until she is exposed as a closet lesbian. Barbara has alienated herself from society and is desperately afraid of life-long loneliness. Like a stalker, she befriends a young, pretty, new schoolteacher named Bathsheba Hart (Blanchett), who seems slightly unhappy with her own life. The film follows Barbara as she wreaks havoc on Hart’s life until the final showdown.

The film is “Fatal Attraction” for the art house crew. For instance, the story takes a sleazy twist when Hart has an affair with her 15-year-old student. When Barbara secretly finds out, she is hurt, not because of what Hart did, but that she didn’t tell her. Barbara’s sick mind somehow sees this as a betrayal and uses the love affair as a form of blackmail.

The characters are great, and the script was written by Patrick Marbler, the same screenwriter who wrote “Closer.” His writing emphasizes a realistic approach to the human condition.

But without Dench and Blanchett, “Notes on a Scandal” is just another made-for-TV movie on Lifetime. The story is old news, and most of the twists seem contrived and predictable. However, the acting saves the film and turns it into a unique character drama. An added plus is the Oscar-nominated music score, which haunts the entire film and adds tension.

“Notes on a Scandal” is playing at the Downtown West Regal Cinemas, which shows mainly independent films.

Grade: B