I didn't expect much out of this when I was saw it about 15 years ago, but it turned to be quite interesting. The only problem was it has too much a sleazy feel to it and an obvious political agenda, which is not unusual in films. The agenda is almost always one way.

There is a lot of nudity in here, lots of it mainly with Bridget Fonda who plays "Mandy Rice-Davies" and Joanne Whalley-Kilmer as "Christine Keeler." Whalley-Kilmer looked particularly beautiful.

John Hurt as "Stephen Ward" and Ian McKellen "John Profumo" are the males. The story is about Britain's "Profumo Affar," as it was labeled back then - a sex scandal involving English politicians in the early 1960s.

In what could be a dry account turns out to be a fascinating movie, well-acted and beautifully-photographed. I've seen it three times and the third was probably the last. By then, the titillation of the nudity had worn off and the bias of yet another Liberal agenda bashing conservatives (it's same all over in the world of film-making) got a bit annoying. That, and the fact that had no English subtitles on the DVD, was disappointing.

Michael Caton Jones directs this account of the real life sex scandal involving Cabinet Minister John Profumo(Ian McKellen) & Russian spy Eugene Ivanov(Jeroen Krabbe) involved with former showgirls but now high society escorts played by Joanne Whalley and Bridget Fonda, that would result in a very public trial that wrecked careers and lives. John Hurt plays Dr. Stephen Ward, who introduced the two ladies to their decadent lifestyle, much to his later regret.

Well acted by its cast, and interesting to a point, but film is rarely that emotionally involving, and seems more interested in controversial sensationalism than anything else. Despite the excitement on screen, it may well leave you cold...

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.