Review of Scandal (1989) by Lou B — 28 Jun 2009
This is a great film. Not necessarily totally historically accurate, but it's hugely evocative of Britain on the brink of the 60s with all its various revolutions, and it's first thoroughly modern political 'scandal', with media fully deployed, complete even to the soundbites; "well he would, wouldn't he?".
Ian McKellan is a great Profumo, and Leslie Phillips is marvellous as Lord Astor, in fact it's a really great cast, but John Hurt's Stephen Ward is IMHO brilliant.
As the aristos and MPs head for the hills, leaving Ward to carry the can, he learns the same hard lesson about the Great British Upper Class that Oscar Wilde did 60 or so years earlier - they may find you amusing, entertaining, even useful, but you'll never be one of them, and when the chips are down, you're on your own.
"I last saw Miss Keeler in December 1961, and I have not seen her since".
Aye, right.
This review of Scandal (1989) was written by Lou B on 28 Jun 2009.
Scandal has generally received positive reviews.
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