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
