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(1 - 44) of 44 OFCS Rating: 80% Fresh Page   1   "The characters' motives are base enough, and there's an odd combination of petty incidents having walloping consequences, but the ironies are as delicately layered and "delicious" as they could possibly be without a hint of preciosity."   Blogcritics.org   Alan Dale "'Notes on a Scandal' is a memorable portrait of self-destruction. And, believe me, it's not a pretty sight."   ReelTalk Movie Reviews   Betty Jo Tucker B+ "Portraying the most encrusted cat-lady of them all, Dench sinks her fangs into the spinster role, brandishing Marber's dialogue like a lethal weapon; she's Selma Bouvier with a sniper's rifle for a tongue."   OhmyNews.com   Brian Orndorf B- "Without a clear protagonist, "Notes On a Scandal" collapses under the weight of its significant subject matter. Nevertheless, Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench rise above the ill- prepared source material with their passionate performances.   "   ColeSmithey.com   Cole Smithey "As much as Barbara judges, however, you may find yourself in a quandary, not judging so much as taking pleasure in her vile, brilliant perfection."   PopMatters   Cynthia Fuchs 2.5/4 "Dench makes mincemeat of the often pedantic material."   rec.arts.movies.reviews   David N. Butterworth 2/4 "...a thoroughly trashy piece of work..."   Reel Film Reviews   David Nusair B "Nasty sex scandal drama."   Ozus' World Movie Reviews   Dennis Schwartz 4/5 "If you don't already worship at the Church of Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal may be the film that causes your conversion."   Filmcritic.com   Don Willmott 2.5/4 "Just to see Cate Blanchett bitchslap Judi Dench is worth the price of admission."   DustinPutman.com   Dustin Putman 3/5 "Un brillante duelo actoral entre Judi Dench y Cate Blanchett %u2013dos de las mejores actrices de la actualidad- que es también un sutil estudio sobre la soledad y la obsesión."   Uruguay Total   Enrique Buchichio B+ "Do not listen to the people who insist the film is brilliant, classy, or groundbreaking, for it is none of those things. It is, however, an awful lot of fun to watch."   EricDSnider.com   Eric D. Snider 2/4 "Dench's coup de grace of trying to get Blanchett to comfort her over her dying 'pussycat' reads no differently than the ridiculous requests Kramer made to Seinfeld after giving him his blood."   eFilmCritic.com   Erik Childress B- "Dench's Barbara Covett lacks the true menace to make her into an effective villain, and the recognizable humanity to make the lack of menace irrelevant."   Film Blather   Eugene Novikov "Stages the story with a tastefulness both ponderous and dishonest"   CinePassion   Fernando F. Croce 3.5/4 "Deliciously devilish. Skillfully executed in terms of acting, directing and writing...one caustic, taut tale about indiscretion and the ill-advised ways of broken people."   Movie Eye   Frank Ochieng B+ "Bleak, mean-spirited and wonderfully enjoyable."   One Guy's Opinion   Frank Swietek 3/5 "A riveting and disturbing drama about the friendship between two women and the desperate things loneliness will drive us to do."   Spirituality and Practice   Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat 2.5/4 "In order to propel circumstances to a conclusion, Notes on a Scandal relies upon a contrivance so ugly and obvious that it's impossible to ignore."   ReelViews   James Berardinelli 2.5/5 "A lurid psychodrama cleverly dressed up in art house garb. It plumbs the recesses of pathetic and sordid human behavior with a wry combination of gleeful deliciousness and arty pretension."   Q Network Film Desk   James Kendrick 3.5/4 "A wanton cinematic treat."   Palo Alto Weekly   Jeanne Aufmuth 7/10 "The build-up in this movie is actually too good for its ending, but that's also no reason to skip out on a wonderful turn from Dench."   Window to the Movies   Jeffrey Chen A- "Armed with one of the most literate and deviously subtle scripts of 2006"   Old School Reviews   John A. Nesbit 2.5/5 "A borderline melodrama film that is fortunate to feature two superb enough performances to grant it high entertainment status."   Movies for the Masses   Joseph Proimakis 4.5/5 "Dench and Blanchett are wonders to behold, wielding their respective powers over each other and drawing near and far, sparking flames between themselves."   Cinerina   Karina Montgomery 3.5/5 "born from watching too many episodes of Jerry Springer, and the filmmakers decided it would be more accepted by the Academy if the characters had British accents."   7M Pictures   Kevin Carr 3/4 "With lesser actresses in the leads, it could be merely nasty, but in Dench and Blanchett's hands, it's scathingly tragic without ever resorting to vulgar melodrama."   TV Guide's Movie Guide   Maitland McDonagh 8/10 "This is a strong drama that simmers its way to a boil by the end of the film. It falters only at the very end, in which the story falls back on a cliché."   rec.arts.movies.reviews   Mark R. Leeper 3/4 "A gripping, well acted film, but not one of the year's best"   Movie Habit   Marty Mapes "Imagine Single White Female as mounted by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and you've got it. Oh, snickered the critic longing for smart silliness, do I love this movie."   Flick Filosopher   MaryAnn Johanson 2/5 "[I]n desperate need of a sense of humor, because only a healthy dollop of To Die For style irony could have saved the material."   Goatdog's Movies   Michael W. Phillips, Jr. 3.5/4 "Notes on a Scandal is my favorite kind of thriller. It's the kind that really could happen."   Aisle Seat   Mike McGranaghan B+ "An incisive script by Patrick Marber (Closer), based on the novel by Zoe Heller and brilliantly ruthless performances by Dench, Blanchett, and Bill Nighy as Sheba's husband make this an intense psychological drama with the urgency of last night's news."   Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies   Nell Minow C+ "Could ... have turned out to be a guilty pleasure were it more uninhibited and less rushed."   Lessons of Darkness   Nick Schager 3/5 "Em seus melhores momentos, é um drama relativamente eficaz. (...) Nos piores, parece uma versão de O Pentelho protagonizada por mulheres e com Judi Dench no lugar de Jim Carrey."   Cinema em Cena   Pablo Villaca 1.5/5 "Ennui with a pedigree."   Film Threat   Phil Hall 4/5 "This internalised dramatic thriller makes the most of subtly perceptive writing, directing and acting."   Shadows on the Wall   Rich Cline B+ "The main thing this film has going for it are some truly outstanding acting performances, led by Dench and Blanchett."   Laramie Movie Scope   Robert Roten B "Dench gives her character real dimension and you, almost, feel bad for her. Almost. It's a juicy role and an Oscar-worthy performance by the grand dame..."   Reeling Reviews   Robin Clifford 8/10 "Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett go the extra yard to bring genuinely anguished insight into the reverberation of sexual and personal predation."   Monsters and Critics   Ron Wilkinson 3/4 "This is the acting equivalent of the Thrilla in Manila, folks."   Charlotte Weekly   Sean O'Connell 9/10 "Intense and ironic, it's a compelling story of trust and betrayal."   www.susangranger.com   Susan Granger 3.5/4 "Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett are amazing in this psychological power play between an obsessed teacher and her unwitting target."   Oscar Guy   Wesley Lovell "Click here to see review"   Wolf Entertainment Guide   William Wolf  (1 - 44) of 44 OFCS Rating: 80% Fresh Page   1