Keira Knightley, Jessie Buckley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw take on the hierarchy in Misbehaviour, Phillippa Lowthorpe's feature centring the events of the 1970 Miss World competition. A pivotal moment in the fight for Women's Liberation, Misbehaviour tells a timely tale of the fight for justice, the sacrifices made along the way, and the inspiring women behind it. With its theatrical run devastatingly cut short due to the unfolding current events, the film is available from April 15th to view from the comfort of your own home.
At the turn of the 1970s, a group of Women's Liberation activists plan to infiltrate the televised Miss World held in London in a demonstration intended to bring attention to the cause of female equality. For the women competing, including two of the first black contestants, their involvement means more than sheer pageantry, representing something far bigger than a crown or title.
Misbehaviour may not be the most complex or nuanced film on the subject of women's liberation, but it does a tremendous job of finding contemporary relevance in the now 51-year-old event. Presenting multi-faceted readings of Miss World 1970, screenplay co-writers Gaby Chiappe and Rebecca Frayn's decision to explore the themes and issues from the perspective of numerous women - a single mother, a group of activists, a grandmother brought up in an older generation, black competitors for the title and individuals married to Miss World's high-ranking men - opens the film up far more than if it narrowly focused on just one of these groups. Providing light and shade to the issue of liberation and equality, the intersection these various voices allows for imbues the feature with a depth that truly enriches the conversations it strikes up.
Such layers to the character's perspectives mean that the broader template the story is told through can be forgiven, adapting crowd-pleasing traits from other against-the-system stories. There is a familiarity to Misbehaviour, but Lowthorpe's solid and consistent direction ensures the triumphant victories and shocking hypocrites still land with the vigour and might needed to be effective and stir a reaction. The incorporation of music really enhances this too, Dickon Hinchcliffe's lovely score emphasising the emotions and tones, and 'O Fortuna' perfectly scoring a climactic moment which is both greatly dramatic and slightly humorous to convey the almost farcical thrill of the moment.
Misbehaviour's terrific ensemble is the crowning glory here. Keira Knightley continues her terrific based-on-a-real-person film run, following Colette and Official Secrets with another wonderful turn as Sally Alexander. Similarly, Jessie Buckley's rising star shows no signs of slowing, bringing ferocious energy to her portrayal of Jo Robinson. Wobbly accent aside, Guga Mbatha-Raw brings a rich emotion to the role of Miss Grenada hopeful Jennifer Hosten. Conveying the weight of her position in the competition, exploring the assumed responsibility she takes on to give little girls like her something to believe in, Mbatha-Raw's work is incredibly thoughtful and beautifully considered. And in a much lesser role, Lesley Manville provides the film with one of its most satisfying moments, playing the wife to Greg Kinnear's Bob Hope, who indulges in his pantomine-esque role with glee.
It's not without its minor flaws but Phillippa Lowthorpe's Misbehaviour is a wonderful infusion of feelgood, topical, humorous and inspiring, that only the Brits can really manage. Telling this important, relevant story from many perspectives reminds us of the importance of intersectionality, the need for all voices at the table and how we only really thrive when we all do.
Summary: Feelgood while never diminishing its importance or relevancy, Misbehaviour is elevated by its consideration of different female perspectives in the fight for equality, with the terrific ensemble led by Keira Knightley, Jessie Buckley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw the crowning achievement in this winning effort.
At the turn of the 1970s, a group of Women's Liberation activists plan to infiltrate the televised Miss World held in London in a demonstration intended to bring attention to the cause of female equality. For the women competing, including two of the first black contestants, their involvement means more than sheer pageantry, representing something far bigger than a crown or title.
Misbehaviour may not be the most complex or nuanced film on the subject of women's liberation, but it does a tremendous job of finding contemporary relevance in the now 51-year-old event. Presenting multi-faceted readings of Miss World 1970, screenplay co-writers Gaby Chiappe and Rebecca Frayn's decision to explore the themes and issues from the perspective of numerous women - a single mother, a group of activists, a grandmother brought up in an older generation, black competitors for the title and individuals married to Miss World's high-ranking men - opens the film up far more than if it narrowly focused on just one of these groups. Providing light and shade to the issue of liberation and equality, the intersection these various voices allows for imbues the feature with a depth that truly enriches the conversations it strikes up.
Such layers to the character's perspectives mean that the broader template the story is told through can be forgiven, adapting crowd-pleasing traits from other against-the-system stories. There is a familiarity to Misbehaviour, but Lowthorpe's solid and consistent direction ensures the triumphant victories and shocking hypocrites still land with the vigour and might needed to be effective and stir a reaction. The incorporation of music really enhances this too, Dickon Hinchcliffe's lovely score emphasising the emotions and tones, and 'O Fortuna' perfectly scoring a climactic moment which is both greatly dramatic and slightly humorous to convey the almost farcical thrill of the moment.
Misbehaviour's terrific ensemble is the crowning glory here. Keira Knightley continues her terrific based-on-a-real-person film run, following Colette and Official Secrets with another wonderful turn as Sally Alexander. Similarly, Jessie Buckley's rising star shows no signs of slowing, bringing ferocious energy to her portrayal of Jo Robinson. Wobbly accent aside, Guga Mbatha-Raw brings a rich emotion to the role of Miss Grenada hopeful Jennifer Hosten. Conveying the weight of her position in the competition, exploring the assumed responsibility she takes on to give little girls like her something to believe in, Mbatha-Raw's work is incredibly thoughtful and beautifully considered. And in a much lesser role, Lesley Manville provides the film with one of its most satisfying moments, playing the wife to Greg Kinnear's Bob Hope, who indulges in his pantomine-esque role with glee.
It's not without its minor flaws but Phillippa Lowthorpe's Misbehaviour is a wonderful infusion of feelgood, topical, humorous and inspiring, that only the Brits can really manage. Telling this important, relevant story from many perspectives reminds us of the importance of intersectionality, the need for all voices at the table and how we only really thrive when we all do.
Summary: Feelgood while never diminishing its importance or relevancy, Misbehaviour is elevated by its consideration of different female perspectives in the fight for equality, with the terrific ensemble led by Keira Knightley, Jessie Buckley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw the crowning achievement in this winning effort.