Notes on a Scandal (film)

"[voiceover, while writing in her diary] People trust me with their secrets. But who do I trust with mine? You, only you."

"[voiceover] When I was young I had such a vision of myself. I dreamed I'd be someone to be reckoned with, you know, in the world. But one learns one's scale. I've such a dread of ending my days alone. But recently, I've allowed myself to think that I may not be. Am I wrong?"

"[voiceover] Here come the local pubescent proles. The future plumbers, shop assistants, and doubtless the odd terrorist too. In the old days, we confiscated cigarettes and wank mags. Now it's knives and crack cocaine. And they call it progress."

"[voiceover, after Sheba has confessed her affair] And then I realised my fury had blinded me. There was a magnificent opportunity here. With stealth, I might secure the prize long-term, forever in my debt. I could gain everything by doing nothing."

"[voiceover] As my mother would have said, the boy done her like a kipper. She has nowhere to turn but trusty old Bar. She mopes and mourns for her pubescent paramour, but she knows my interventions have saved her life. And she is sweetly grateful. Her betrayal hurt me more than I dare show. But I will forgive her and heal myself in private. She's worth it, this one. She's the one I've waited for. She's beginning to understand that her dalliance with Master Connolly was a consequence of her dead marriage. It's a sham, fueled only by the memory of former glories. I mean, the wonderful thing about Polly- Whereas we are going through the fire forging our friendship with a stronger bond each day. In fact, we are now entering a delicate new phase. We are silently and stealthily negotiating the terms of a life lived together. Now more than ever we are bound by the secrets we share."

"[voiceover] People languish for years with partners who are clearly from another planet. We want so much to believe that we've found our other. It takes courage to recognise the real as opposed to the convenient. We want so much to believe that we've found our other. Takes courage to recognize the real as opposed to the convenient. When I was young I had such a vision of myself. I dreamed I'd be someone to be reckoned with, you know, in the world. But one learns one's scale. I've such a dread of ending my days alone. But recently, I've allowed myself to think that I may not be. Am I wrong?"

"[voiceover] Judas had the grace to hang himself. But only according to Matthew the most sentimental of the Apostles. Is this the last night of her old life? I wonder how long my messenger will take. Thank you. People like Sheba think they know what it is to be lonely. But of the drip, drip of the long-haul, no-end-in-sight solitude, they know nothing. What it's like to construct an entire weekend around a visit to the launderette. Or to be so chronically untouched that the accidental brush of a bus conductor's hand sends a jolt of longing straight to your groin. Of this, Sheba and her like have no clue."

"[voiceover] This last month has been the most delicious time of my life. Of course we have had our ups and downs. The pressure is intense when two women share their lives. But, oh, but what marvelous intensity it is! Circumstances are not always ideal. The swinish press, the stringent bail terms, meetings with lawyers and so on. But all things considered, we're coping admirably. In fact, gold stars abundant. The cuckold permits her to see their children once a week. Thee are usually tears and fits of teenage tantrums, too. In time she'll recognise she's just not the mothering kind, and then Barbara will be there to comfort her. Nurse, beloved friend and wise counsel."

"[to Barbara] This is going to sound sick, but something in me felt... entitled. You know, I've been good all my adult life. I've been a decent wife, a dutiful mother coping with Ben. This voice inside me kept saying "why shouldn't you be bad, why shouldn't you transgress? I mean, you've earned the right.""

"[to Sheba] I knew who you were when we met. You were young. I knew it might get tough, but I was prepared. You're a good mother, but at times you've been a fucking lousy wife. Why didn't you come to me? You could have told me how lonely you were. You never trusted me to help you. I'm not saying I was so fucking fabulous, but I was here."

"Loneliness can turn one into a monster."

"One Woman's Mistake Is Another's Opportunity..."

"One woman's secret is another woman's power. One woman's fear is another woman's weapon. One woman's life is in another woman's hands...."

"Judi Dench - Barbara Covett"

"Cate Blanchett - Bathsheba "Sheba" Hart"

"Tom Georgeson - Ted Mawson"

"Michael Maloney - Sandy Pabblem"

"Joanna Scanlan - Sue Hodge"

"Shaun Parkes - Bill Rumer"

"Emma Williams - Linda"

"Andrew Simpson - Steven Connolly"

"Phil Davis - Brian Bangs"

"Bill Nighy - Richard Hart"

"Juno Temple - Polly Hart"