Title: “Misbehaviour”

Release date: In theaters and on streaming/VOD services Sept. 25, 2020

Starring: Kiera Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buckley, Greg Kinnear, Leslie Manville, Rhys Ifans, Keeley Hawes, Charlotte Spencer, Alexa Davies, Suki Waterhouse, Clara Rosager, Loreece Harrison, Emma Corrin, John Sackville

Directed by: Philippa Lowthorpe

Written by: Rebecca Frayn, Gaby Chiappe

Genre: Historical drama/comedy

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Rated: R

What it’s about: Based on the true story of the 1970 Miss World pageant in London, a feminist group (led by Knightley’s Sally Alexander and Buckley’s Jo Robinson) invades the stage and disrupts the live broadcast as they protest the event and the objectification of women. When the show resumes, a Black woman is crowned the winner for the first time (Mbatha-Raw as Miss Grenada Jennifer Hosten), and a Black woman from South Africa (Harrison as Pearl Jansen) is selected as first runner-up.

What I liked about it: “Misbehaviour” is an important story about a watershed moment in the women’s liberation movement. Director Lowthorpe and writers Frayn and Chiappe tell several different stories that converge in the climactic scene (the pageant), but their focus clearly is on the important social ramifications of this moment in history, and not just the feminist movement but also on racial and class divisions. … Buckley’s and Knightley’s lead characters make a nice contrast. Knightley’s Alexander is a young, divorced mother who has gained admittance into Oxford University and is an idealist whose feminism is more pragmatic. Buckley’s Robinson is a hot-tempered anarchist who has little patience for Alexander’s more strait-laced style, though they find common ground in their cause. … Solid performances abound beyond Knightley and Buckley, especially Mbatha-Raw as a woman whose appreciation for the opportunity she has been given (even before she wins the Miss World title) seems to contradict the oppressive world feminists see. Manville has some strong moments as the wife of Bob Hope (the host of the 1970 pageant), and Kinnear (complete with a prosthetic nose) does a plausible job of capturing a version of Hope that goes against his public persona at the time. Though she is underused, Harrison is part of the film’s more tender moments as a woman who was added to the pageant only after political pressure and represented South Africa along with a White woman.

What I didn’t like about it: It’s approach at times feels like that of an underdog sports story, and though it works much of the time, it at other times seems a curious approach to have taken given the seriousness of the events taking place. … While the story’s inclusion of several social issues is ambitious, it also gives the audience a lot to chew on, especially for a movie given a lighter-than-expected touch. … Hope’s part of the story seems unnecessary. … Though billed as a drama/comedy, laughs are few and far between. … A documentary on the pageant would likely be more compelling than a narrative film.

Who it should appeal to: General audiences who like feel-good, underdog stories, and older viewers who will appreciate the period piece setting, costumes and situations.   

My score: 62 out of 100.