Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett work beautifully well in this gripping movie....the storyline is amazing (teacher falls for pupil, other teacher blackmails, loving husband finds out, press find out) and the character played by Judi Dench is mesmerising!
A fantastic film that I would watch again...perfect for a night in with a bottle of wine!

What a treat to watch two of the best actors of our time in the same movie! Judy Dench is an international treasure; Cate Blanchett never looked better or created a more compelling character in any of her other movies.

A superlative creator of character. "Notes from a Scandal" tells us a lot about the "British" penchant for relishing "scandals" (they invented the tabloid press) and also about the odd, intersecting relationships that have become a nearly commonplace reality in the contemporary world. Both Blanchett and Dench (as Sheba and Barbara) teach at the same Islington secondary school. And both, in very different ways, embark on "inappropriate" relationships that create turmoil in their lives and the lives of their community.

Judy Dench conveys the desperate loneliness of her character's life and a remarkable scene of her smoking a cigarette in a bathtub conveys the distinction between her kind of loneliness--an older, unattractive, single woman with no real connections in life--and the more endurable kinds of loneliness that many of us share.

This is a gripping film that moves crisply from one scene to the next, missing only a very few beats along the way. A must see

When i herd about this film i didnt think it would be any good. Once i started watching i just couldnt stop! This is a clever and well made british film. Its unmissable.

Gripping! All the way through you want to know what is going to happen, unanswered questions about judi dench's character that keep you guessing! It is a little strange in places and judi dench's performance is strong as always. I agree with the other review, in that if you can't get over the relationship between the teacher and young boy in the plot, it could be unenjoyable. However, the relationship between kate blanchett and judi dench is compelling and the main force in the film.

This film is worth a watch, it is very well acted and very entertaining. It is a fabulous take on the psychological thriller and provides an interesting look into relationships between a teacher and her student and a jealous and twisted confidante. Will definetly leave you intrigued.

I won't say that I think the story line was amazing, though it was good, but the acting in this film was top quality- just what you would expect from Dame Judi Dench.

This is a recommeneded buy because its an easy watch and is an interesting insight to different states of minds of people.

I thought this film was very enjoyable. If you can get over a teenage boy kissing an older woman, the story runs well. Blanchett is great, but judi dench was so believable I was scared of her! Good film. Worth buying.

'Notes on a scandal' is definately one of the best films i've seen in a long time. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett's performances are what makes this film outstanding. Their good acting and ability to work so well together in their characters really gives this film the credibility it deserves. However, it's not only the actresses part in this film that makes it so great.

The storyline is not the most original of ideas. Teacher and student have an affair, some people don't agree, etc. But the way this film is put together, and the power it has on the viewer makes the film a thrilling and gripping tale, from start to finish. Very well recommended, and well worth a fiver.

This film is more interesting than most. I did find it got a bit tedious in parts. I think the problem is that the actual storyline is not very good. Were it not for the fact that cate blanchet and dame judy dench are world class actors I think this film would have been a total flop. They seem to be what holds it together.
This is not to say the storyline is total rubbish. There are a few interesting parts, but they are all quite predictable.
The thing I found most interesting was the way I didnt know which character to identify with. Throughout the whole film I was torn between the 2 female characters. By the end of it I realised I didnt identify with, or like either which overall left me feeling a bit disappointed. One minute it seems one character is being rational, the next theyre not. You'll see what I mean if you watch it.
I do still think at this price this film is worth it as it is a good watch although I wouldnt go out of my way to see it more than once.

I'm going to keep this brief...A slightly bizarre film with some sublime moments, however, the entire film rambles towards it's final climax, taking a bit of viewer perseverance to stick with it. Although Dench is superb, unfortunately her efforts don't quite do enough to produce a classic.