NOTES ON A SCANDAL

“People have always trusted me with their secrets. But who do I trust with mine?” -- Barbara Covett, NOTES ON A SCANDAL Two women caught up in a drama of need and betrayal are at the heart of this psychological thriller, NOTES ON A SCANDAL. The twists and turns of the story are noted in the acerbic diary of Barbara Covett (Dame Judi Dench), a domineering and solitary teacher who rules with an iron fist over her classroom at a decaying state-run secondary school in London. Save for her cat, Portia, Barbara lives alone, without friends or confidantes – but her world changes when she meets the school’s new art teacher, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett). Sheba appears to be the kindred spirit and loyal friend Barbara has always been seeking. But when she discovers that Sheba is having an incendiary affair with one of her young students (Andrew Simpson), their budding relationship takes an ominous turn. Now, as Barbara threatens to expose Sheba’s terrible secret to both her husband (Bill Nighy) and the world, Barbara’s own secrets and dark obsessions come tumbling to the fore, exposing the deceptions at the core of each of the women’s lives. Two of the world’s best actresses deliver tour de force performances in NOTES ON A SCANDAL, a presentation of Fox Searchlight Pictures and DNA Films. The film is directed by Richard Eyre (Stage Beauty, Iris) and stars Oscar® winner Judi Dench (Shakespeare In Love, Iris, Mrs. Brown) and Oscar® winner Cate Blanchett (The Aviator, Elizabeth, Babel) along with newcomer Andrew Simpson and Bill Nighy (Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Love Actually, The Constant Gardener). With a screenplay by Patrick Marber (Closer), adapted from Zoë Heller’s Booker Prize-nominated novel, the film is produced by Scott Rudin and Robert Fox, who previously collaborated together on both Iris and The Hours. The artistic crew includes two-time Academy Award® winning director of photography Chris Menges (The Mission, The Killing Fields, Dirty Pretty Thi