Mirren won for playing "The Queen", not because her performance was truly award-worthy. Just as Colin Firth would go on to win for playing "The King" (English, of course). Had they played an ordinary granny refusing to openly mourn her deceased daughter-in-law, and any old Ordinary Joe struggling with a speech impediment, you can better believe the academy would have taken no notice at all, not with such unremarkable performances. In a sense, one almost expects the Bafta jury to back these performances and films; but it's odd how Americans still can't get over their envy and embarrassing sycophancy for this most absurd of British institutions.
I'm usually no huge fan of Dench, but I would agree she was very good in that movie - much better than Mirren (an actress I normally much prefer) and the most deserving of the 2006/7 nominees for best actress. Only Sandra Huller in Requiem and Kate Dickie in Red Road were better; only Laura Dern in Inland Empire and Gretchen Moll in The Notorious Bettie Paige were as good.

Shakespeare in Love came way before Notes on a Scandal.
The fact she never won Best Actress is a crime against great acting.

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She should've won for Mrs Brown and I think her win for Shakespeare in Love was the Academy making up for that. She should also have won for Iris.

Oh I totally agree with this.
Judi's performance in Notes is astonishing and one of my all time favourites along with DDL in My Left Foot; Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List; Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon; Leonardo Di Caprio in Gilbert Grape and Ryan Gosling in True Believer.
Dench is absolutely pitch perfect as the lonely, bitter, opportunistic, manipulative and desperate for love Barbara. How Mirren (talented though she is) won over Dench is just another example of the Oscars whacky and incomprehensible decisions.
The Oscars do occasionally get it right though. Case in point: Maggie Smith for California Suite. Marvellous.
So put some spice in my sauce, honey in my tea, an ace up my sleeve and a slinkyplanb

I absolutely agree. Mirren was still a worthy winner in general, but in it's no contest in comparison.

Anyone else agree?
Me, me, me, me, I do. I was just reading a "Don't like her" thread complaining that she is "a very emotionless actress". That poster obviously hasn't seen Notes on a Scandal. How didn't she win an oscar for that performance!