White Mischief

1988 "In a world of wife swapping, drugs and chocolate covered lobsters, murder seemed so uncivilised."
6.4| 1h47m| R| en| More Info
Released: 22 April 1988 Released
Producted By: Nelson Entertainment
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A millionaire past his prime and his young wife arrive in Kenya circa 1940 to find that the other affluent British expatriates are living large as the homefront gears up for war. They are busy swapping partners, doing drugs, and attending lavish parties and horse races. She begins a torrid affair with one of the bon vivants, and her husband finds out and confronts them. The husband and wife decide to break up peacefully, but the bon vivant is murdered and all the evidence points to the husband.

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Reviews

Develiker terrible... so disappointed.
Protraph Lack of good storyline.
KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.
fastfilmhh Based on the book by James Fox (not the handsome English actor of a certain age) this film remains hard to pin down: it's part murder mystery, part sociological study, part history of pre-WW2 East African colonialism, part romance, part dionysian orgy (really), part Evelyn Waugh/Somerset Maughm, part romance, part.... etc. etc. And it's all true.Yes, the actors are more spectacular looking than their real life counterparts (particularly Scacchi, seldom more stunning.) Sarah Miles' strange character wafts through as most memorable of all in a rich ensemble set of louche decadents. (And yet the actress in real life admitted she may not have gotten a handle on the real woman, just an impression. Based upon my reading of Fox's and Trzebinski's books' accounts on the Alice de Janze, I'd have to agree. Nothing like her except the memorable quips and woozy flair.) Plus, most folks who didn't swim through the primo decadence of the 1960's firsthand might be appalled at what passes for entertainment in British colonial East Africa of the 1930'/40s. But what you'll get for your treasure hunt (this is a hard film to find) is the truth of a murder mystery, weird but real characters, a slice of history, all against the gorgeous panoply of Kenya, despite all its troubles one of the most beautiful spots on the entire planet, all shot on location right where the real events unfolded.
demanning52 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!
Benjamin Cox It's funny how you remember certain details with regards to certain films. I'll always remember that "Gremlins 2" was the first movie I taped on my VCR machine and that this was the first movie that I watched on my personal TV in my room. The reason being, I had not long turned 13 and the listings described this as an "erotic thriller". Now, it looks about as erotic as an episode of "Songs of Praise"."White Mischief" takes us to Kenya in the early days of WWII. A rich landowner and his young wife (Joss Acklund and Greta Scacchi) arrive to escape the Blitz and settle in a colony of affluent, upper class aristocrats. However, she soon falls in love with the dashing Earl of Erroll (Charles Dance), causing a scandal in the community. Things come to a tragic head, however, when the Earl is murdered. Anything beyond that, I can't really tell you because this film moves so slowly and so little seems to happen that other details just seemed to vanish in a hazy blur.Credit where it's due, the production values are fantastic. Like most BBC period productions, the costumes are spot-on and the unusual setting is completely believable on screen. Locations, music, dialogue etc. are all as you'd expect, although Scacchi's character occasionally looks like a 1950's Hollywood starlet, rather than a 1940's Lady. Nothing wrong with the performances either, though with a cast like this, a dodgy performance was probably the last thing you'd expect. The fatal flaw, in my eyes, is that most viewers will not have any chance of identifying themselves with the characters. It feels like a dramatised version of a Mills & Boon novel and the feeling of detachment is unsettling. The other flaw is that it runs so slow. By the time of the trial into the death of the Earl of whatever-it-was, the film had failed my Nokia test - only it hadn't technically. Instead of playing Backgammon on my mobile (battery was dead), I flicked over to watch Jennifer Love Hewitt take a shower in "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer". And quite frankly, no part of this film can compete with that.If you're interested in the period then you might take something from this. Otherwise, I can't see why it was ever released as a film. It might have been better as one of those Sunday evenings shows that the BBC like so much like "Ballykissangel" or "Monarch Of The Glen" (shudders). Editing would have removed some the (rather pointless) tit shots and apart from this, this is precisely the sort of bland, middle-of-the-road, inoffensive twaddle that seems to occupy that slot in the listings. Sorry but the only mischievous thing about this film is the title, implying that the whole film is little more than a trifle inconvenience in the lives of the characters and a trifle boring for the viewer.
Chloe13141414 Was well into the film before I realized it was based on the factual story of a famous murder case. I was transported and still feel that way every time I get a chance to enjoy it again. I forgot who the actors were-they became the characters. That's how you know a film is splendid. I love the restraint of a fine British actor. No words are wasted. A glance tells it all. Everyone in the cast should be knighted by the Queen! I'll drop her Majesty a line right away. Chloe