Notes on a Scandal/YMMV

• Alternate Character Interpretation: Barbara. Complete Monster or Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds? Both? Likewise is Steven an innocent victim manipulated by a disturbed woman or a sociopathic young man who manipulates a disturbed woman into satisfying his depraved lust?
• Crowning Moment of Awesome: When Sheba finds Barbara's diary and the ensuing Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
• Crowning Moment of Funny: There's a lot of dark humour throughout the film but particularly this exchange:
  • Sheba: We never invited you to the fucking Dordoigne.
  • Barbara: You specifically said that if I happened to be in France I should drop in.
  • Sheba: (Face-palm) We didn't mean it.
  • Barbara: Well alright, I won't come then.
• Crowning Music of Awesome: Phillip Glass did the score. 'Nuff said!
• Magnificent Bitch: Barbara could be considered Iago in a woman's body with her diary as Emilia. She's made even more magnificent by the fact that by the end of the movie she's evaded prison and found another prey!
• Memetic Badass: Benjamin! Sheba's son!
• Nightmare Fuel: This movie is stuffed with it, from the increasingly creepy score, the various references to witchcraft, Barbara's disturbing lust for Sheba, the whole premise of the movie and the scene when Sheba, suffering a psychotic breakdown, paints her face and dresses as a prostitute. She looks disturbingly clown-like and still looks the same when she goes crazy and yells at Barbara before bursting out into the street screaming "HERE I AM!" Admittedly, this scene could double as dark comedy.
• The Scrappy: Steven.
• World of Woobie: Sheba comes from an abusive mother, Barbara is a lonely spinster, most kids at the school have had a pretty hard life, Sheba's daughter Polly is an anorexic, her son has Down's Syndrome and the only happy character in the film is Richard whose wife has cheated on him with a fifteen year old. Oh. Dear.