Never in my entire life did I think I’d watch a movie where Judi Dench (“Casino Royale”) gave me the willies. Now I know why she was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award for her role in “Notes on a Scandal,” because Dame Judi is the British, Senior Citizen equivalent of Glen Close’s character in “Fatal Attraction.” I can’t decide what had me more alarmed: The idea of “Single White Female: Grandma Style,” or that Judi Dench’s character reminded me of my Grandmother.

In all seriousness, though, “Notes on a Scandal” is a taught drama that teeters on the fringe of psychological thriller. The filmmakers behind “The Number 23” ought to watch this movie to understand what creepy truly should feel and look like. There are no murders and there is nothing supernatural about “Notes on a Scandal,” yet I was far more disturbed and uncomfortable than I was during the laughable screening of “23.”

“Notes” is actually a novel by Zoe Heller that was one of six books shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2003. She is credited in the film alongside Patrick Marber (“Closer”), who was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Directed by Richard Eyre (“Iris”), the story follows the narration of a sixtysomething history teacher, Barbara Covett (Judi Dench), who lives alone, having only the company of her cat as she writes her “notes” each night in her diary. From Barbara’s own words and from what we witness as she teaches and handles “crowd control” at St. George’s school, she is viewed as antiquated and mean.

However, the ice around Barbara’s heart is somewhat thawed when she meets a new art teacher at St. George’s, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett). At first, there is some envious disdain for Sheba, as her life is a sharp contrast to Barbara’s bleak, petty existence. Sheba is married and has two children and a very happy, busy life. However, when Sheba invites Barbara to Sunday dinner, Barbara is convinced the two might share a deep friendship.

As the two teachers begin to spend more time together, Sheba also begins an affair with a 15 year-old student, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), who was seeing her for after-school art tutoring. Barbara witness firsthand the affair, seemingly ripped from the headlines (see Debra Lafave and Mary Kay Letourneau), and confronts Sheba immediately. Barbara agrees to keep the affair secret if Sheba agrees to not see Steven anymore. Sheba agrees of course and Barbara, feigning innocence, ransoms Sheba with the silent threat that she could destroy Sheba’s life with one whisper.

In the end, after failing to end the affair with her student and failing to be at Barbara’s side when her cat dies, Sheba is betrayed by a whisper and soon finds herself fired from her job, ousted by her husband and charged with indecent assault on her pupil. The headmaster at St. George’s forces Barbara into early retirement on the grounds that he knows she knew of the affair and Barbara takes Sheba into her home, as Sheba has nowhere else to go. In Barbara’s conniving mind, things have worked out well and now their friendship can blossom even further.

Unfortunately for Barbara, Sheba discovers the “notes” and Barbara’s true intentions and feelings, all of which are crushing and nauseating to Sheba. Sheba serves 10 months in prison and, it is assumed, returns home prodigally to her family. Barbara, now retired, is seen at the end of the film still writing in her diary and still scheming for a friend.

“Notes on a Scandal” deserves all the Oscar nominations it received this year and is a literary film, crafted deftly by the intelligent screenwriting and powered by the honest acting of the film’s two stars. Cate Blanchett (“Babel”) and Judi Dench are at the peak of their acting talents in “Notes,” especially Dench as the creepy, manipulative and stalking, Barbara. The emotion and decision making in the movie are raw and realistic and the use of cell phones and cell phone text messaging was fairly poignant, as in today’s information age, there are truly no secrets and even the ones we think are hidden can eventually and unexpectedly come to light.