After directing the powerful and raw TV drama ‘Three Girls’, BAFTA winner Philippa Lowthorpe takes on the story of the 1970 Miss World contest, when sexist attitudes clashed with a nascent feminist movement.
The footage is famous. A helpless Bob Hope attempting – and failing – to inject mirth into a contest taken over by feminist campaigners outraged that in 1970 the Miss World contest was still a going concern. The event took place in London and ‘Misbehaviour’ dramatizes it from the perspectives of all involved. But gender politics was not the only issue being turned on its head in this era. Race became a key element in making the event such a landmark in popular culture. With an impressively starry cast, Lowthorpe’s film, written by Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe, balances entertainment with an engaging account of the issues at stake.
★★★★ “Told with charm and fun.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
