Misbehaviour (2020), directed by Philippa Lowthorpe

In 1970 the women’s movement for equality was just getting rolling and the anachronistic Miss World beauty pageant became a target as a symbol of a patriarchal system that marginalises women. Misbehaviour spotlights ordinary women who got involved in the fight, including mature student and single mother Sally Alexander and activist Jo Robinson. Played by Keira Knightly and Jessie Buckley, these women form the warm heart of a disparate and diverse group. Although articulate on the campaign and its aim, the film is not just polemic. It skewers the shockingly sexist and misogynistic attitudes prevalent at the time, simply by presenting them, but it also shows the human face of all involved. This includes hopeful contestants, immensely popular dinosaur comedian Bob Hope and Sally’s mum. The film promotes the effectiveness of protest and activism, claiming apartheid protests helped force changes to Miss World and that the Women’s Liberation protest helped put the movement on the map. It underlines the power of intersectionality to create a sum greater than its parts. It's also funny. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is moving as eventual pageant winner Miss Guatemala, eloquently making the case for the limited opportunities afforded to black women in particular. Greg Kinnear looks good as Bob Hope, but his accent often slips; Lesley Manville is excellent as always in a cameo as Delores Hope. It’s a really nice touch at the end to see brief images and bios of several of the real people portrayed in the film – real women who achieved real goals.