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Poster for Scandal

Scandal

The story that seduced the world is now the most controversial film of the year.

1989 · 1h 55m · R Drama, History, Romance
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones

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Overview

An English bon-vivant osteopath is enchanted with a young exotic dancer and invites her to live with him. He serves as friend and mentor, and through his contacts and parties she and her friend meet and date members of the Conservative Party. Eventually a scandal occurs when her affair with the Minister of War goes public, threatening their lifestyles and their freedom.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
91%
Tomatometer
Fresh

The film holds because of the brilliance of Hurt and the fascination of Whalley-Kilmer, as well as the sly, tongue-in-cheek viciousness of Bridget Fonda's Mandy Rice-Davies.

Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times
Fresh

Scandal is an express tour of the Profumo affair that moves with a pop historian's revisionist swagger and plays like News of the World headlines set to early '60s rock 'n' roll.

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
Fresh

The greatest virtue of the filmmakers' straightforward approach is that it avoids the obvious pitfall of pretentiousness.

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Fresh

Caton-Jones is not the most stylistically assured of filmmakers, but his ability with actors is obvious. For this project, that is enough to turn the flat conventions of the docudrama into something resembling life.

Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune
Fresh

Hurt is excellent as the charming but shallow Ward.

Variety Staff, Variety

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