"In this sharp psychological thriller, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett give fierce, memorable performances as two schoolteachers locked in a battle of wits." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The Guardian called the film a "delectable adaptation" with "tremendous acting from Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, with many blue-chip supporting contributions and a "screenwriting masterclass from Patrick Marber". The Times praised the film, saying: "Notes on a Scandal, is screenwriting at its vicious best... Richard Eyre directs the film like a chamber play. He leans on Philip Glass's ever-present and insistent music like a crutch. But his natural gift for framing scenes is terrifically assured. A potent and evil pleasure." American publications also gave the film acclaim, with the Los Angeles Times describing the film as "Sexy, aspirational and post-politically correct, Notes on a Scandal could turn out to be the Fatal Attraction of the noughties." The Washington Post noted the "dark brilliance" and that it "offers what is possibly the only intelligent account of such a disaster ever constructed, with a point of view that is somewhat gimlet-eyed and offered with absolutely no sentimentality whatsoever." The reviewer also identified the film as a "study in the anthropology of British liberal-left middle-class life." Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper heaped praise on the film: "Perhaps the most impressive acting duo in any film of 2006. Dench and Blanchett are magnificent. Notes on a Scandal is whip-smart, sharp and grown up." However, the Houston Chronicle criticized the film as a melodrama, saying, "[d]ramatic overstatement saturates just about every piece of this production". Commercial The film grossed $49,752,391 worldwide, against a budget of $15 million. Soundtrack The original score for the movie was composed by Philip Glass. The film also features the songs "Funky Kingston" by Toots and the Maytals and "Dizzy" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Awards and nominations 79th Academy Awards: Nominated: Best Actress – Judi Dench Nominated: Best Supporting Actress – Cate Blanchett Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay – Patrick Marber Nominated: Best Original Score – Philip Glass BAFTA Awards Nominated: Best British Film Nominated: Best Actress – Judi Dench Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay – Patrick Marber British Independent Film Awards Nominated: Best British Independent Film Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film – Judi Dench Nominated: Best Performance by a