'Misbehaviour (2020)' surrounds the 'Miss World 1970' beauty pageant, using this event to highlight the different ways in which sexism affects a few key characters. It's very much a feminist film, delightfully flying in the face of the patriarchy wherever possible. However, it's also surprisingly nuanced. It tackles misogyny, objectification, social conditioning, generational oppression, unbalanced power structures and, even, racism. The complex issues it examines are never boiled down to anything other than just that: complex. By focusing on a diverse group of women, the piece can explore varying types resistance and different degrees of progress without ever minimising one approach. Initially, its abundance of characters feels slightly messy, but it's not long before the less important players fall away somewhat so that the main stars can shine. The movie moves at a clip, too. It's over before you know it, satisfyingly bringing all its elements together in a chaotic finale and delicate denouement. It's a wonderfully inclusive film, as enraged as it is understanding. It's also constantly entertaining, even though isn't exactly exciting, and it often manages to get under your skin in the most necessary of ways. Its performances are on-point, its script is balanced and its message is important. It's really good, actually. 7/10
Review of Misbehaviour
