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Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 11/16

NotesSc
11/16: I worked as a secondary teacher for three years and understood the power and responsibilities that were placed before me.

A student-teacher relationship is tough to cultivate, and the environment in today's schools is drastically different, thanks to the explosion of technology. As a result, sex crime is on the rise as many teachers are being arrested for inappropriate relationships with their pupils.

Texas currently leads the nation in teacher-student sex cases. According to data from the Education Agency, the reported incidences of improper relationships between teachers and students have been rising annually:

2008-09: 123
2009-10: 141
2010-11: 152
2011-12: 156
2012-13: 163
2013-14: 179
2014-15: 188

That's not just in Texas; it's happening everywhere including England. In short, it's an epidemic. I can never understand the teacher's sexual interest in students although one of the reasons might be the high amount of xenoestrogens in food which causes young kids to develop faster and reach puberty at an earlier age. So, my question to the teachers is: why not date a minor, as long as he's of the legal age, outside of school? Or better yet, an adult? There are plenty of them, and the end result is practically the same.

Anyway, Notes on a Scandal is a refreshing change given the fact that it was produced during the age of digital comic-book movies. Also, it's British which means higher standard in acting, screenplay (which earned Patrick Marber a well-deserved Oscar nomination), and production values. Once I heard the spoken lines, I knew the movie was going to work out; it's just a matter of finding out what the story is about.

I normally don't like Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, but I have to admit: they're very good in this movie. Consequently, both of them were nominated for Oscars. Judi Dench finally drops the repetitive shtick that has made her an all-time bad actress by acting like a human being for a change. It's more realistic when she does that.

In that process, Judi Dench carves a classic villain out of Barbara Covett: a trusting vampirish senior authoritarian who's a patiently quiet, unassuming sexual predator of young female adults. She hit a home run during the ending. Cate Blanchett is adept as a novice teacher who's trying to survive her first year at an urban school and doesn't know her way around. There are a lot of moments she has that ring true although her showing off too much skin is a big no-no.

Her character's run of bad luck is also saddled with a great deal of stress by dealing with her older alcoholic husband, who seems to exhibit autistic behaviors, and intellectually disabled son. Ultimately, she's trying to keep her family together. Hence, if it never happened in the first place, then the sexual relationship with her pupil wouldn't be highly probable. So, I suspect it's been the case for many teachers who have too much stress in their lives.

But no matter what, engaging in an improper relationship with a student is always a lose-lose situation because once the teacher initiates it, s/he is constantly behind the eight ball because the power lies with the student who can abuse it as s/he sees fit. The only way out is to be publicly shamed by the media before going to prison. Everything the teacher had worked for will be for naught. Hence, showing sexual interest in students isn't worth the trouble.

Anyway, the supporting cast has turned in superb performances. A special mention must go to Andrew Simpson as the pupil and Bill Nighy, who should've received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, as the alcoholic husband.

All in all, Notes on a Scandal is a masterpiece.