Ok, so to start off, Judi Dench is one crazy, bad ass beyotch in this movie. She plays an older history teacher named Barbara and Sheba is the new art teacher played by Cate Blanchett. It starts off sweet and innocent, with Barbara helping Sheba settle a fight in the novice teacher’s classroom. From there it just snowballs. Barbara has found her new “companion” and proceeds to insert herself into Sheba’s life and family. Sheba takes up with one of her 15 yr old students (the reason is never really explained) and Barbara uses this information to keep her in check. All is lost when Sheba chooses an important family event over Barbara’s distress and sadness.
Judi Dench is fantastic in this movie. She pulls off everything she is supposed to, making you sympathize with her in her loneliness, and creeping you the hell out when she shows Sheba how the girls stroked each others arms in grade school. Cate Blanchett pulls of the whole naive, flighty thing, but she’s a little hard to sympathize with (with the whole child abuse thing happening). My favorite person in this movie was Bill Nighy, who played Sheba’s older husband Richard. His character was so earnest and lost when he discovers his wife’s crimes.
So, watch your friends. And if they ask you to be with them when a cherished pet dies, take my advice and just go.
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