Scandal (1989) review

"Osteopathic physician" and "man-about-town" Stephen Ward (John Hurt) meets teenage showgirl Christine Keeler (Joanne Whalley) and has her move in with him, she has sexual affairs with jazz promoter Johnny Edgecombe (Roland Gift), Russian spy Eugene Ivanov (Jeroen Krabbé) and the married Secretary of State for War John Profumo (Ian McKellen, with a samurai hairdo) ... but eventually she blabs to the press, Profumo resigns and Ward is placed on trial (for earning money via prostitution).  Its attempt at being "saucy" and "risqué" feels forced - there are lots of horny and constantly perspiring Englishmen getting themselves worked up over young ladies (there's even an orgy!) - and Keeler simply cannot stop making terrible life decisions (she cries quite a lot).  The most complex (if you could call it that) aspect of her personality is her devotion to (and love for) chain-smoking Ward, and since their relationship is purely platonic, he can viewed as her "Daddy Replacement."  This incident caused an exceptional stir in the British political world but the effect here is muted - the truly "scandalous" part of it has to do with a story involving a gentleman's testicles, a jar of angry bees and a spritz of Chanel perfume.