---
title: "Notes on a Scandal"
year: 2006
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/notes-on-a-scandal"
fi1m_id: "notes-on-a-scandal"
imdb_id: "tt0465551"
tmdb_id: 1259
wikidata_id: "Q756849"
fi1m_score: 75
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 13
published: "2026-10-01T19:17:58.436208+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-01T19:18:08.370597+00:00"
region: "VN"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Directed by Richard Eyre · 1h 32m · Drama, Romance

## Identity

Notes on a Scandal

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/notes-on-a-scandal
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** notes-on-a-scandal
- **IMDb ID:** tt0465551
- **TMDB ID:** 1259
- **Wikidata ID:** Q756849
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465551/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1259, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q756849

**Fi1m score: 75** · Critics 72 from 13 reviews

*In a sentence:* Judi Dench, a fountain pen and a diary full of gold stars; lock your doors

> Richard Eyre’s adaptation of Zoë Heller’s novel is a tight, unkind, superbly acted 92 minutes, with Judi Dench giving one of her best screen performances. Philip Glass’s score shouts over it and the last stretch tips into melodrama, but it grips.

## Synopsis

Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) is a history teacher nearing the end of a long career at a north London comprehensive. She lives alone with her cat and a diary in which good days get a gold star and colleagues get a sharp sentence each. A new art teacher arrives: Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), younger, vaguely bohemian, married to the much older Richard (Bill Nighy), with a sullen teenage daughter, Polly (Juno Temple), and a young son, Ben (Max Lewis). Barbara decides Sheba is the friend she has waited years for and sets about becoming indispensable, from a playground fight to Sunday lunch at the Harts’ house. Sheba, meanwhile, is drawn into something with a fifteen-year-old pupil, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), and one evening after a school performance Barbara sees what she should not.

## Review

Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) has taught history at a north London comprehensive for longer than anyone on the staff can remember, and she keeps a diary in which good days get a gold star and colleagues get a sentence they would not survive. When Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) arrives to teach art, Barbara decides she has found a friend. Sheba has found something else: a fifteen-year-old pupil, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson). Richard Eyre’s film, adapted by Patrick Marber from Zoë Heller’s novel, is about what Barbara does once she knows. It is a sharp, unkind, well-made 92 minutes, worth your evening, with one loud reservation.

The narration is the film. Marber gives Barbara a diary voice of patient, precise spite, and Dench reads it as if dictating to a secretary she does not trust. Sue Hodge (Joanna Scanlan) is dismissed in a clause; the headmaster, Sandy Pabblem (Michael Maloney), gets a paragraph. We laughed at nearly all of it, and then noticed we had been agreeing with Barbara for twenty minutes, and that the film had meant us to. On screen Dench does less and it carries further: a hand laid on Sheba’s arm and left there a beat too long, the sag in her shoulders when she gets home to the cat.

Blanchett has the harder job, because Sheba must be a fool without being a cartoon. She plays her as a woman who drifted: married young to Richard (Bill Nighy), a good deal older, mother to a furious teenager, Polly (Juno Temple), and a son, Ben (Max Lewis), who has Down’s syndrome, and now back at work and mistaking a boy’s attention for being seen. Simpson’s Connolly is cocky on the football pitch, needy in the art room, a child whenever it suits him. The film does not excuse Sheba. It lets Barbara judge her in voice-over and then spends an hour showing us what Barbara’s judgment is worth.

Nighy is the quiet surprise. For most of the film Richard is fond, faintly patronising and funny, a man used to being the clever one in the house. Then, in the second half, he has a scene we will not describe, except to say that we flinched, and that we had not known he had it in him. Tim Hatley designs the two homes so that each tells you about its owner before anyone speaks: the Harts’ house is books, rugs, clutter and a pottery studio down the garden; Barbara’s flat is beige, tidy and full of nothing. Hatley also dresses them, Barbara in brown and grey, Sheba in long skirts and loose jumpers.

Chris Menges shoots a London of low winter light, grey skies over the playground and strip lighting in the corridors, and keeps the camera close on Dench so that we watch her watching Sheba. Then there is the score. Philip Glass has written churning, repeating strings that treat a cup of tea in the staff room as if it were a bank raid. For half an hour this works, because it tells us Barbara’s mind never stops. After that it keeps going at the same pitch through scenes that needed quiet, and we started hearing the music instead of the people. John Bloom and Antonia Van Drimmelen cut briskly, a virtue for an hour and a problem in the last twenty minutes, when events the novel let breathe arrive one on top of another.

Heller’s book was a comedy about loneliness with a thriller underneath. Marber has turned it the other way up, and mostly the trade pays: the film is tighter and more frightening than the novel. The cost comes at the end, where a story about small daily cruelties, the kind that happen in any staff room, becomes a story about a monster, complete with a confrontation shot and scored like the close of an opera. Dench keeps Barbara a person through all of it, lonely and ashamed and still hoping to be liked. The film around her is less careful.

It carries a 15 and runs an hour and a half, which makes it a good film for a weeknight: on before the news and done before you are tired. See it for Dench, who is as good here as we have seen her, and for Nighy’s one scene. Turn the strings down a notch if you can. The people are saying things worth hearing underneath them.

*Fi1m score 75, published 1 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like Notes on a Scandal, and nearly all of them like it for the same reason. Judi Dench’s Barbara is praised in almost every review, as chilling, imperious, spiteful and grotesquely comic, and several critics pair her with Cate Blanchett and find the scenes between the two women the film’s best. The warmer notices call it a gripping, deviously entertaining thriller that stays absorbing even though neither woman is easy to like.

The reservations gather around the writing rather than the acting. The mixed reviews find the characters thin and the drama brittle; Slant Magazine thinks the third act is rushed, and The AV Club objects to the score as well as the shallow characterisation. The one outright dissent comes from the Los Angeles Times, which finds the adaptation bombastic and less psychologically complex than the novel. The spread is moderate: a cluster of strong recommendations, a block of three-star shrugs, and a single refusal.

## Straight answers

**Is Notes on a Scandal worth watching?**

*Notes on a Scandal* is worth watching for anyone who likes a tight, unkind drama built on two strong performances, and we scored it 75. Judi Dench is as good here as we have seen her, and Bill Nighy has one scene that took us by surprise. Philip Glass's score shouts over too much of it and the last twenty minutes tip into melodrama.

**How long is Notes on a Scandal, and what is it rated?**

*Notes on a Scandal* runs 1h 32m. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Notes on a Scandal in Vietnam?**

*Notes on a Scandal* is not on any streaming or rental service in Vietnam at the moment. It is available in 45 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Notes on a Scandal, and is it suitable for children?**

*Notes on a Scandal* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not for children: its story turns on an art teacher's relationship with a fifteen-year-old pupil, and the whole film is about spite, loneliness and cruelty in a staff room. There is little in the way of physical violence as far as we saw. It is frightening in the way a diary read over your shoulder is frightening rather than in any jump-scare sense.

**How does Notes on a Scandal compare to The Servant?**

*Notes on a Scandal* and [*The Servant*](https://film.one/film/the-servant) are both about one person taking over another's life politely, from the inside, but *The Servant* is the colder and the better film. Joseph Losey's picture works room by room and keeps its nerve longer, though it too turns the screw too hard at the close. Watch *Notes on a Scandal* for Dench's narration and a brisk 92 minutes; watch *The Servant* if you want the same idea done with more ice.

**Is Notes on a Scandal based on a true story or a book?**

*Notes on a Scandal* is based on Zoë Heller's novel of the same name, adapted by Patrick Marber, and is not a true story. Heller's book was a comedy about loneliness with a thriller underneath; the film turns that the other way up, becoming tighter and more frightening but rushing the ending the novel let breathe. You do not need to have read it.

**What should I watch after Notes on a Scandal?**

After *Notes on a Scandal*, try [*The Servant*](https://film.one/film/the-servant) (1963, Fi1m 89): Dirk Bogarde takes a household apart from the inside, politely, one evening at a time. Then [*Persona*](https://film.one/film/persona) (1966, Fi1m 89): Two women, one island, and a fixation that eats the quieter of them alive; and [*Closer*](https://film.one/film/closer) (2004, Fi1m 63): Patrick Marber’s own play filmed; four people lying to each other with great precision.

### Reviews we read (13)

- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (90/100, inferred): Denby finds the film wonderfully entertaining and brilliant. He especially praises Judi Dench’s nuanced performance and Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Sheba. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/01/15/friends-and-enemies)
- **Empire**, Olly Richards (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film intelligent, classy and skin-crawling, with only a few moments that feel too explicit or emotionally false. Judi Dench’s chilling, nuanced performance is singled out as the film’s masterclass. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/notes-scandal-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Rob Mackie (85/100, inferred): Mackie finds the film absorbing, gripping, and emotionally compelling despite its deeply flawed characters. He especially praises the subtle performances, led by Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jun/04/dvdreviews.drama)
- **Variety**, Justin Chang (85/100, inferred): Chang finds the film a deviously entertaining, superbly executed thriller. He especially praises the riveting interplay between Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. [Read](https://variety.com/2006/film/awards/notes-on-a-scandal-2-1200511602/)
- **Radio Times**, Sloan Freer (4/5): The critic praises the film as an intense, gritty drama. Judi Dench’s performance is singled out for its malignant spite and intensity. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-a9mz96/notes-on-a-scandal/)
- **Screen Daily**, Geoffrey Macnab (64/100, inferred): The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no readable praise or complaint about the film. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/notes-on-a-scandal/4029900.article)
- **Time Out**, Jessica Winter (64/100, inferred): The page is identified as a film review, but its critical verdict is not visible. The available text only introduces the novel’s original title and Sheba Hart. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/notes-on-a-scandal)
- **The AV Club**, Noel Murray (C+): Murray finds the film smart but ultimately brittle and emotionally unconvincing. He praises Judi Dench’s performance and the film’s observations about generational differences, while criticizing the score and shallow characterization. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/notes-on-a-scandal-1798202305)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jason Clark (2.5/4): Clark finds the film lurid and entertaining, though he criticizes its rushed, collapsing third act. He especially praises Judi Dench’s fearless, grotesquely comic performance. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/notes-on-a-scandal/)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (3/5): The review finds the film an uneven acting showcase, with script problems undermining its drama. It praises Judi Dench’s vivid, imperious performance as Barbara. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/notes-on-a-scandal-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Carina Chocano (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the adaptation bombastic and less psychologically complex than the novel, despite some strengths. She praises Judi Dench’s commanding portrayal and notes the striking visual effect of the teacher-student pairing. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-dec-27-et-scandal27-story.html)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (85/100, inferred): The review regards the film as exceptional, with flawless direction and a perfectly pitched screenplay. It especially praises Judi Dench’s compelling performance as the manipulative Barbara. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/notes-on-a-scandal-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)
- **Digital Spy**, Daniel Saney (80/100, inferred): The review calls the film an enthralling thriller and memorable drama. It particularly praises Dench and Blanchett’s performances, along with the film’s pacing. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a42114/notes-on-a-scandal/)

## Details

- **Director:** Richard Eyre
- **Director:** Richard Eyre
- **Screenplay:** Patrick Marber
- **Novel:** Zoë Heller
- **Cinematography:** Chris Menges
- **Editor:** John Bloom, Antonia Van Drimmelen
- **Music:** Philip Glass
- **Production design:** Tim Hatley
- **Costume design:** Tim Hatley
- **Producer:** Scott Rudin, Robert Fox
- **Cast:** Judi Dench as Barbara Covett; Cate Blanchett as Sheba Hart; Bill Nighy as Richard Hart; Andrew Simpson as Steven Connolly; Phil Davis as Brian Bangs; Michael Maloney as Sandy Pabblem; Juno Temple as Polly Hart; Max Lewis as Ben Hart
- **Runtime:** 1h 32m
- **First release (Brazil):** 25 December 2006
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Budget:** $15 million
- **Box office:** $50 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AruRpjQquQQ

## Where to watch in Vietnam

Not streaming, renting or buying in Vietnam at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2007: Best Actress (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (nominated); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Servant* (1963), Fi1m 89: Dirk Bogarde takes a household apart from the inside, politely, one evening at a time. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-servant.md)
- *Persona* (1966), Fi1m 89: Two women, one island, and a fixation that eats the quieter of them alive. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/persona.md)
- *Single White Female* (1992): The lurid American cousin: a flatmate who wants your life and starts with your haircut.
- *Closer* (2004), Fi1m 63: Patrick Marber’s own play filmed; four people lying to each other with great precision. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/closer.md)
- *Tár* (2022), Fi1m 84: Blanchett again, this time holding the power, in an institution that protects her until it does not. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/tar.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/notes-on-a-scandal