Misbehaviour Movie Review: An activism well begun

Misbehaviour

Based on a true story, this film, is a fairly accurate recollection of the events that brought the Womens' liberation movement to the forefront of world consciousness at the Miss World Pageant of 1970, London. It not only questions the status quo of those times but also puts forth a strong argument in favour of dispensing off with the then predominantly patriarchal view that women were meant to be seen and classified for their beauty and not heard or counted for their intelligence.

The pageant was a fountainhead of controversies - racial, geopolitical and gender denigrating. The anti-apartheid crusaders indirectly forced Eric (Rhys Ifans) and Julia Morley (Keely Hawes) to complicate pageant rules and in turn reinforce the racial divide with the inclusion of a white and a black (South African) representative from the same country. So, the world press was indeed out in full force and this gave a handful of intrepid, enterprising women fighting for respect and dignity, a never before opportunity to make their voices heard.

The film opens with Sally (Keira Knightley), struggling to eke a place at a well-known university in an effort to make herself heard against a male-dominated preserve full of prejudice. But it's not an easy fight and when her dissertation about women workers is called "niche", she understands the value of a more in-your-face radical activism led by Jo (Jessie Buckley) and becomes a joiner rather than a bourgeois feminist observer. Sally is divorced, has a young, easily influenced kid at home, an understanding live-in partner and a mother who constantly questions her radical beliefs.

But Sally is not the only one risking everything to fight the system - there are many more women in the movement who are putting their all on the line to make the world see, hear and acknowledge their true worth. On the other hand, the women competing at the pageant also have their own powerful reasons for being there. Churning up antagonism and depreciable humour as Master of ceremonies, is a slimy Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear) who accepts the invitation going against the wishes of his long-suffering wife (Lesley Manville). So, when the Miss World pageant hurtles towards its crowning movement, there's a whole lot of face-offs en route to the winning of the prized crown.

The screenplay by Rebecca Frayn may not have been able to do full justice to all the characters. Director Philippa Lowthorpe explores the division of class within feminism quite winningly - rendering the effort infectious and entertaining. The film is studded with earnest, sincere, heartfelt performances from an ensemble. The direction and pacing allow for complete involvement and the period setting adds weight to the authenticity of the overall effort.

Misbehaviour
Director: Philippa Lowthorpe
Cast: Alexa Davies, Charlotte Spencer, Greg Kinnear
Rating: '''