Philippa Lowthorpe’s Misbehaviour recreates the disruption of the Miss World contest in London in 1970 – depicted as a fun-filled feat wit...
Philippa Lowthorpe’s Misbehaviour recreates the disruption of the Miss World contest in London in 1970 – depicted as a fun-filled feat with far-reaching repercussions.
The battle lines are draw in the opening sequence with real footage of American entertainer Bob Hope cheering his country’s soldiers in Vietnam in the late 1960s. Hope’s act, a cocktail of comedy and sexism, includes parading Miss World winners before thousands of lusty soldiers. Hope is later portrayed by Greg Kinnear with a wandering eye and an outdated view of women as “girls”.
Meanwhile in London, Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley) struggles to be taken seriously at her history course at university. The fiery but prim Sally is an odd fit in a group of younger radical feminists who want to make a difference – emphatically.
The opportunity presents itself in the form of the meat market that is the beauty pageant. Organisers Eric and Julia Morley (Rhys Ifans and Keeley Hawes), who are modelled on the event’s real-life founders, work hard on putting up the best possible show.
The screenplay, by Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe, treats its weighty themes with lightness and joy. Bright colours and soft lighting further attempt to leaven a movie about the many ways in which women are...
