IN 1960 CHRISTINE KEELER MET MANDY RICE-DAVIES. THREE YEARS LATER THEY BROUGHT DOWN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
The Profumo affair of the 1960s, where the British War Secretary was revealed to have had relations with a model who was also sleeping with a potential Russian spy, has become the ultimate symbol of sex scandals in politics. Michael Caton-Jones’s directing debut is a credible, straight depiction of what happened, told with a sense of humor until everything falls apart in the end for these people. The director and the writer make it easy to understand why Christine Keeler was seduced by the morally loose London élite and how strong her friendship with the charismatic Stephen Ward became. John Hurt and Joanne Whalley-Kilmer are standouts in a very fine cast.
1989-Britain. 106 min. Color. Produced by Stephen Woolley. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Screenplay: Michael Thomas. Cast: John Hurt (Stephen Ward), Joanne Whalley-Kilmer (Christine Keeler), Bridget Fonda (Mandy Rice-Davies), Ian McKellen (John Profumo), Leslie Phillips, Britt Ekland… Jeroen Krabbé.
Trivia: Alternative version runs ten minutes longer. Stephen Frears was reportedly considered for directing duties.
