White Mischief (1988)

Director:

Michael Radford

Writers:

James Fox (novel)
Michael Radford (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

May 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

In England they were the elite, but bound by rules of society. In Kenya there were no rules, only glamour, decadence . . . and murder.

Plot:

A millionaire past his prime and his young wife arrive in Kenya circa 1940 to find that the other affluent...

Plot Keywords:

1940s | Shower Scene | Voyeurism | Beautiful Woman | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards.

Cast

Greta Scacchi	...	Lady Diana Broughton
Charles Dance	...	Josslyn Hay
Joss Ackland	...	'Jock' Delves Broughton
Sarah Miles	...	Alice de Janzé
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Nina Soames
Ray McAnally	...	Morris
Murray Head	...	Lizzie
John Hurt	...	Gilbert Colvile
Trevor Howard	...	Jack Soames
Susan Fleetwood	...	Gladys, Lady Delamer
Catherine Neilson	...	Lady June Carberry
Hugh Grant	...	Hugh
Alan Dobie	...	Harragin
Gregor Fisher	...	McPherson
Jacqueline Pearce	...	Idina

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Kenya

Company:

Goldcrest Films International

Quotes:

Sir Jock Delves Broughton: These bankers are terrible, Abdullah.
Abdullah, Broughton's Servant: Yes, Bwana.
Sir Jock Delves Broughton: When it's dry they offer you no end of umbrellas; as soon as it starts raining they want them back.

Soundtrack:

The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

A worthwhile and sexy retelling of a famous murder-mystery case.

Circa World War II a grisly - but rich- old buffer and his far-too-young-for-him wife enjoy the high life in Kenya's Happy Valley. However their happiness proves sadly short lived. Based on a famous true life case.

Interesting approach to the "central" crime-celeb subject. While many would have plunged straight in to the murder-mystery to get the movie off with a bang - not here. This is a lesson in restraint.

This film seems to view the crime of secondary importance to atmosphere and the establishment of character and order. This is probably wise, because the mystery part of the crime is rather weak and one-sided. Especially in the manner the story is told.

(While tying to be true to the facts there is more nodding and winking going on here than in a New York gay bar!)

You can't complain about production values and acting, they are only of the very first order. Charles Dance was an actor born in to the wrong age - if the studio system had got a hold of him they could have turned him in to a superstar. He doesn't have enough to do here - but he does this "cad" act well enough.

Kenya is made to look like heaven on earth - if you are white and well off that is. Here life is one big party with plenty of sun, sea and sex - with an army of cheap black labour to do any real work.

The gin and tonic set form their own little England allowing the sex games to go on a bit further than at home because there are no prying eyes.

If any movie showcased Scacchi's ample prime-time charms is this one. I don't know if the lady is a naturist in real life, but she never looks that bothered about whether she is wearing clothes or not. Her classy English accent further convinces you that if any woman was worth killing over it is her.

(In interviews she talks about the audience getting tired of seeing her breasts!)

Watching the film is rather like watching the film Titanic. You realize that everything you see is going to be destroyed, while those on the screen sail on without a care in the world.

If the central crime had been more interesting and more ambiguous I might have enjoyed it more. A clear case of a film being rather weighed down by being based on facts rather than having the freedom of total fiction.