Women behaving badly at Miss World
Misbehaviour (M, 106 mins ) Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe Reviewed by James Croot ★★★1⁄2
With more than 100 million viewers tuning in from around the globe, the annual Miss World event was bigger than the first moon landing or the 1966 World Cup Final.
It brought 50 of the world’s most beautiful women to London for a night of glamour, evening gowns and swimsuits.
And, in 1970, much to the delight of Miss World organisers Eric (Rhys Ifans) and Julia Morley (Keeley Hawes), they’d managed to land US comedian Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear) as host for the first time in a decade, as well as a judging panel that included singers Nina, Glen Campbell and the High Commissioner of Malawi.
However, not everyone thought the upcoming ceremony at the Princess Theatre should go ahead as planned.
Anti-apartheid organisations bridled at the inclusion of South Africa and threatened a protest – something the Morleys attempted to dissipate by asking that country’s government to send a white and black entrant, the latter representing Africa South.
But while the press labelled it ‘‘a spineless attempt to whitewash a corrupt regime’’, the threatened action never eventuated.
Instead, it came from other quarters. Firstly, the anarchists, who blew up a BBC Outside Broadcast van the night before the telecast and, then, the nascent Women’s Liberation Organisation, who, in denouncing the contest as a ‘‘big fat celebration of oppression marketing as family entertainment’’, had already announced plans to picket the event.
Under the guidance of mature university student, divorcee and mother-of-one Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley), the usually media-avoiding chaotic collective had come up with a cunning plan to infiltrate the ceremony and cause maximum disruption. But, with security tight and Alexander having second thoughts, could they actually pull it off?
Yes, while there are a lot of thematic and structural similarities between this and Sarah Gavron’s 1910s-set Suffragette, there’s also more than a touch of a heist movie feel about Rebecca Frayn (The Lady) and Gaby Chiappe’s (Their Finest) script.
Knightley (Colette, Official Secrets) continues a fine run of form, as the progressive woman who finds her college ‘‘seat at the table is actually a high chair’’, while Jessie Buckley (Fargo, Wild Rose) again proves why the Irishwoman is one of the most versatile and finest actors of the past couple of years.
Others in this impressive ensemble also shine, but this is where Misbehaviour’s strength is also its weakness.
The writers and director Philippa Lowthorpe (TV’s The Third Day, Three Girls) deserve plenty of kudos for attempting to look at the Miss World brouhaha from all sides – including the contestants and organisers – the wide focus does mean some characters are left somewhat onedimensional, or given little screen time.
And although it builds nicely to a moment that could re-traumatise All Blacks like Gary Knight, the ending feels all a little too formulaic, right down to the pre end-credits matching of the actors with their real-life counterparts.
But if you’re a fan of crowdpleasing, character-driven, based-on-real-life British period dramas featuring fab costume and production design, then Misbehaviour will be exactly the end-of-2020 treat you’ve been waiting virtually all year for.