White Mischief (1988)

Great Film overall

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

As someone who loathes empires and imperialism, I find myself strangely drawn to the remains of the planet's last old fashioned empire (as opposed to the new model currently imperializing, I think I can use that word, the world). I have been fortunate to wander around the post-colonial British remains in Singapore and Malaysia back in the 70s before those remains were washed from the slates of those new states in Southeast Asia. Although that peek was small it was enough to stay in my memory and to light the fire of interest in further, particularly British, remnants of their recent colonial past.This interest (probably grounded in history and curiosity) led me to this movie and I was not disappointed. I thought the script, the acting, the direction and the cinematography were excellent. The actors were brilliantly cast so the entire assembly fell into their roles to the extent that I saw the group as believable, as if they had just left their first-class cabins on one of those beautiful old liners that were the life-blood of Britian's empire.I intend to begin collecting all the DVDs of this colonial period in English history, as seen from both the colonizers and their subjects. I suppose that living as I do in a colonized country, albeit one from under the mantel for many years, has sparked this interest. Of course, not being part of the higher class I must view the insights of White Mischief as a voyeur of the recent past. The movie provided an exceptional glimpse into this lost world and for that I must congratulate all concerned with its production.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this a 10, is the hit and miss score. There are moments when the music is completely wrong for what is going on. That said, the storyline is not new, in fact it is based on an actual incident. What makes it so entertaining is it's cast, their lines,beautiful wardrobes and the different "mischief" they nearly all take part in. Drugs,booze,polo, parties, mate swapping (and stealing), and eventually murder, has rarely looked so delicious on screen. There are moments here that should stick in your memory for years to come. One such scene involves Sarah Miles and her special way of saying goodbye to a dear departed. It's a shame that this Michael Radford gem is evidently out of print. Should you be lucky enough to find it to rent, I strongly recommend you having on hand a fine Port and some chocolate lobster!

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.

What a demented film! It should be a late night cult classic like Rocky Horror or Blues Bros with the audience hooting and participating at every step, dressing up in character and swilling drinks, dead dogs, accordions, knives, whatever.....causing all sorts of audience mischief in tune with the on screen antics. A loaded cast in every way stagger across the veldt screwing and drinking and making a right old priviliged mess of their rich surroundings. I am sure th cast all laughed all the way to the bank with their fee, and I am not sure where the script ended and the camera kept rolling. The best way to enjoy this berserk trash is to get a group of friends quite drunk and put it on, over reacting and yowling at every scene. It is great fun.