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.
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
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
- Michael Caton-Jones Director
- John Hurt as Stephen Ward
- Joanne Whalley as Christine Keeler
- Bridget Fonda as Mandy Rice-Davies
- Ian McKellen as John Profumo
- Leslie Phillips as Lord Astor
- Britt Ekland as Mariella Novotny
- Daniel Massey as Mervyn Griffith-Jones
- Roland Gift as Johnnie Edgecombe
- Jeroen Krabbé as Eugene Ivanov
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
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.
The greatest virtue of the filmmakers' straightforward approach is that it avoids the obvious pitfall of pretentiousness.
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.
Hurt is excellent as the charming but shallow Ward.
More films
The Hours (2002)
Drama · PG-13
The story of three women searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.
- Runtime
- 1h 54m
- Director
- Stephen Daldry
- Cast
- Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Comedy · Drama · Romance · R
Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against expectations. As a New Year's resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. Her charming boss takes an interest in her, and she cannot stop running into a rather disagreeable acquaintance whom Br...
- Runtime
- 1h 37m
- Director
- Sharon Maguire
- Cast
- Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Action · Adventure · Thriller · PG
James Bond tracks his archnemesis, Ernst Blofeld, to a mountaintop retreat in the Swiss alps where he is training an army of beautiful, lethal women. Along the way, Bond falls for Italian contessa Tracy Draco, and marries her in order to get closer to Blofeld.
- Runtime
- 2h 22m
- Director
- Peter R. Hunt
- Cast
- George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas
The Lorax (2012)
Animation · Family · PG
A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
- Runtime
- 1h 26m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Chris Renaud
- Cast
- Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Ed Helms
Home Makeover (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
When a social worker visits Gru’s house to assess its suitability for children, chaos ensues. Margo, Edith, and Agnes, along with the ever-mischievous Minions, scramble to give the home a makeover in record time. Their attempts to create a warm and inviting environment quickly spiral into hilarity as the Minions’ unorthodox methods lea...
- Runtime
- 5m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Kate Fisher
Orientation Day (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
The Minions embark on their first day of work, eager to prove themselves in their new roles. After watching a hilariously outdated 'Initiation Video,' three rookie Minions take on bomb-carrying duty. Predictably, their enthusiasm quickly spirals into chaos as they bungle the simplest of tasks. Packed with slapstick comedy and the Minio...
- Runtime
- 4m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Pierre Coffin, Rob Huebel










Comments
Talk about the film with other members