REEL CRITICS:Notes on an eerie thriller

“Notes on a Scandal” is a first-rate psychological thriller that will amuse, horrify and creep you out.

The strange plot — something of a cross between “Fatal Attraction” and “The Mary Kay LeTourneau Story” — would not seem plausible without the fine performances from Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy. It’s an after-school special for grown-ups.

A cynical-minded high school teacher (Dench) finds the world a dumb and dreary place until the arrival of a new art teacher (Blanchett). Blond, pretty and unassuming, Bathsheba is everything that Barbara is not. The two strike up an unlikely friendship that turns pathetic — and then scary — when each of them forms highly ill-advised attachments.

The story unfolds from Barbara’s point of view as she writes everything down in her diary. A lifetime of loneliness has now made her as single-minded and petulant as a schoolgirl over her new friend. It’s interesting how Dench, an attractive lady in real life, can convey plain, brittle and cruel just by the slight set of her jaw.

Nighy is first-rate as Bathsheba’s older, but unfortunately not wiser, husband. Blanchett’s character aptly lives up to her name as she turns temptress, but her foolish behavior also makes her a victim. After all the years of being a devoted wife and mother, she suddenly “felt entitled” to go a little wild.

“Notes on a Scandal” runs only about 90 minutes, but the suspense and pace are so brisk, you will feel relieved at the end for the chance to catch your breath.

Supporting cast bumps ‘Dreamgirls’ to the top

From its first doo-wop harmony to its last disco-fevered finale, “Dreamgirls” will have you hooked.

This long-awaited, much-hyped film adaptation of the smash 1981 Broadway musical is dazzling entertainment that mixes “old-school” with contemporary song sensibilities.

Directed and adapted by Bill Condon (who also directed the film “Chicago”), it keeps the music going nearly nonstop against the turmoil of the ‘60s and ‘70s. It boasts Jamie Foxx and Beyonce Knowles as its stars, but the film really belongs to the supporting cast.

Loosely based on the real-life girl group the Supremes and Motown records founder Berry Gordy Jr., “Dreamgirls” is a time-honored tale about that bumpy road to fame and fortune. It brings back memories of the look and sound many classic R&B; groups had in their heyday.

I remember the original stage show for its show-stopping number that drew shrieks and applause from the audience before the song was even over. It’s a scene when the lover-manager of the group’s lead singer is dumped in favor of a slimmer, more mainstream girl.

It was questionable whether anyone could ever match Jennifer Holliday’s rendition of “And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going.” But my doubts were blown away by the performance of Jennifer Hudson (a finalist on “American Idol”) in her screen debut. Again, the audience applauded in the face of such gut-wrenching emotion.

Another surprise was a rare dramatic turn for Eddie Murphy as Johnny “Thunder” Early, a fiery soul singer in the tradition of the late, great James Brown. Murphy’s gift for musical mimicry has always been uncanny, but he’s most effective in his quieter moments as a man fighting his own ego and drugs in the face of changing musical tastes.

“Dreamgirls” may be nothing more than a glitzy soap opera with music, but this time they did it up right.

SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.

A look inside the dark world of spy craft”

The Good Shepherd” presents a long, unflinching look at the dark side of real-world espionage.

The first 20 years of CIA success and failure are presented in gritty historic detail. Robert De Niro directs a thoughtful and disturbing meditation on the nature and effects of world-class political deceit.

Matt Damon, William Hurt, Alec Baldwin and John Turturro spearhead the outstanding acting. First-rate directing, screenplay and cinematography complement the actors.

This could be “The Godfather” of spy thrillers that sets a new standard for the genre. Several Oscar nominations are a definite possibility.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office.