Well-mounted, stylish and evenly paced, "Scandal" expertly tells an interesting story with much flare and good dramatic sense. Joanne Whalley, Bridget Fonda and John Hurt are wonderfully cast in their respective roles and the narrative moves along with much interest and seldom sags.A quick read of the events and personalities related to the real-life events surrounding the British sex scandal of 1963 will attest to the good effort made to make the film largely accurate yet entertaining.Although the three leads are portrayed as callow and opportunistic throughout most of the action, their human vulnerability remains only slightly obscured; and especially in the case of Whalley's and Hurt's characters, the viewer is compelled to look at them sympathetically once the music stops. Good viewing all around.

In this retelling of the Profumo scandal of 1963, ministers of Britain's Conservative Party carry on affairs with exotic dancers. Despite the juicy subject matter, there isn't much of a plot to sustain interest. It's basically gold diggers Whalley-Kilmer and Fonda having a series of affairs with powerful men and then the downfall of the men. The film tends to meander, with incongruent scenes of Whalley-Kilmer's affairs with a couple of drug-dealing black men. Whalley-Kilmer is quite alluring, and it is not hard to believe that men would risk their careers for dalliances with her. Hurt is fine as a doctor who introduces the girls to the ministers.

Rising to the high is a struggle, but meeting a respecting citizen is a good thing, right? WRONG! British history is everything I liked for a long time. Living the high class life, tea and toast, having royalty all around. That's what this exotic dancer had to live with until the "Scandal" breaks out. Christine Keeler(Joanne Whalley, Val Kilmer's ex) is the exotic dancer who meets John Profumo(Ian McKellen) a well respected man in England, or so to speak. My favorite scene is the dinner when everyone "goes Hawaiian" and Profumo tells Keeler to "wet yours lips" as she removes her top to have fun with the others. After having fun with Profumo, all the powerful figures in England meet their downfall including Keeler and Profumo. All this time, Profumo had everybody in England fooled, and I'm surprised no one went to his funeral. The Ty Cobb treatment there. Here a respect citizen today, an outcast tomorrow, that's what happens when a "Scandal" does to people. It's intriguing, it scandal-ous, and it's a personal favorite of mine. Watch it! You'll like it! 5 stars!

Scandal is not the best film of the eighties. It is rather a risqué raunchy and daring way to tell a sex scandal story in the sixties British politics. John Hurt is terrific as always and surprisingly Bridget Fonda does a great job as a British scandalous singer/actress. The best part of the film is during the credits at the end of the film with Dusty Springfield singing "nothing has been proved." It is also great to see Jean Alexander on the screen again. I never heard about the Profumo Affair until I got this tape. I was surprised to see Bridget Fonda in another London based film. Maybe she was trying to get away from being a Fonda back home, she does do her job. With Dusty Springield singing with the Pet Shop Boys, this movie is must for Dusty fans. I think Jean Alexander deserves an honor by now. After all, last year she was voted greatest British soap actress of all time. Almost 20 years after she departed Coronation Street, isn't time for her to get honor.