Misbehaviour is a film based on the true story of the Miss World 1970 beauty pageant that took place in London. At the time, the event was the highest rated television programme in the UK and that year’s competition was extra dramatic because of the Women’s Liberation protest and then on top of that, a black woman, Miss Grenada Jennifer Hosten, was crowned for the first time and Pearl Jansen, Miss Africa South, was the runner up. So you can imagine the layers of complication in the story – and going by the trailer at least, they’re attempting to address as many of those nuances as possible. There was reason to challenge the sexism of the pageant, and yet, Gugu Mbatha Raw’s two big lines in this preview…

“I look forward to having your choices in life” 

And …

“Not so many flashbulbs for me”

… speak to intersectionality and the blindspots of white feminism. That perspective, hopefully, is equally explored when the film is taken as a whole. I can’t wait to see it, although I’m not sure when. Misbehaviour opens this weekend in the UK in time for Mother’s Day. There is, however, still no North American release date. A movie about a real-life beauty pageant that addresses many of the issues about gender and sexuality and race that we’re still wrestling with 50 years later – there must be an audience on this side of the Atlantic, right? You’d think. 

But when I was watching the trailer, one of my first thoughts was…

OMG they’re not making Bob Hope look very good here. Not that any of it is a lie. Bob Hope’s comedy legacy has not aged well, but he was one of the most popular entertainers of his time. I wonder how an American audience will receive this portrayal (by Greg Kinnear). Even though half of you probably don’t have much memory of Bob Hope, there’s likely some awareness of his celebrity, particularly in relation to the USO. I wonder if that’s a consideration where this film is concerned. 

Here are Gugu and Keira Knightley at the London premiere of Misbehaviour last night. Gugu is spectacular in yellow and although Keira has probably worn a variation of this Chanel dress a dozen times, I love it still and forever.