Notes on a Scandal a great investment

IF YOU haven’t already caught it on film, Notes on a Scandal (Fox, €24.99) is well worth the investment.

It’s a psychological thriller in which Judi Dench plays Barbara Covett, a lonely teacher whose pithy observations about her colleagues are recorded in her journal.

Enter the weak but pretty Sheba (Cate Blanchett) whom she quickly befriends.

But when she discovers the newcomer is having an affair her malevolent side comes to the fore.

A masterly performance from Dench has you hooked from the beginning, while Blanchett isn’t bad either.

Director Richard Eyre provides an audio commentary, while there are plenty of featurettes.

Unmissable.

Drama

****