Misbehaviour

Like Made in Dagenham (2010) and Pride (2014), this richly rewarding comedy drama spotlights a significant moment in British social and cultural history. With a backdrop of a not-so-swinging London beleaguered by anti-apartheid protests, director Philippa Lowthorpe and a top-notch ensemble cast chronicle the lead-up to disruption of the 1970 Miss World contest by the nascent Women's Liberation Movement during a live-to-millions BBC broadcast compered by Bob Hope. Rebecca Frayn's beautifully constructed script avoids sermonising and places the dynamic between characters at its heart: Keira Knightley's genteel but frustrated university activist and Jessie Buckley's furious feminist; Gugu Mbatha-Raw's serene Miss Grenada and her black South African counterpart (Loreece Harrison); and Miss World producers Eric and Julia Morley (Rhys Ifans and Keeley Hawes). Even the marriage of comic legend Hope (Greg Kinnear) - whose tacky one-liners sparked the outrage - and long-suffering wife Dolores (Lesley Manville) is given insightful treatment. Misbehaviour acts as both a fascinating history lesson for the uninitiated and a resonant reflection on equality, diversity, race and chauvinism today.