''The British Guide to Showing Off'' is a 2011

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

written and directed by Jes Benstock, which follows the build-up and execution of the twelfth

Alternative Miss World The Alternative Miss World is an art and fashion event presented in the form of a beauty pageant. It was founded by Andrew Logan in 1972, and has been held irregularly since, with the 14th competition held in 2018. Alternative Miss World has been d ...

- artist Andrew Logan's pastiche of the

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Mi ...

beauty pageant.

Synopsis

As well as charting the latest incarnation of the Alternative Miss World, the film studies the history of the show itself, which first took place in 1972 and has had a number of high-profile celebrities both entering and judging it.

Cast

The film features contributions from

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

Ruby Wax Ruby Wax (; born 19 April 1953) is an American-British actress, comedian, writer, television presenter, and mental health campaigner. A classically-trained actress, Wax co-starred on the ITV sitcom '' Girls on Top'' (1985–1986), and came t ...

Zandra Rhodes Dame Zandra Lindsey Rhodes (born 19 September 1940), is an English fashion and textile designer. Her early education in fashion set the foundation for a career in the industry creating textile prints. Rhodes has designed garments for Diana, Pr ...

Richard O'Brien Richard O'Brien (born Richard Timothy Smith; 25 March 1942) is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in 1973, which has since remained in continuous p ...

Nick Rhodes Nick Rhodes (born Nicholas James Bates; 8 June 1962) is an English keyboardist and producer, best known as a founding member and the keyboardist of the band Duran Duran. He has also been the only constant member of the group since their 1978 ...

and

Grayson Perry Sir Grayson Perry (born 24 March 1960) is an English artist. He is known for his ceramic vases, tapestries, and cross-dressing, as well as his observations of the contemporary arts scene, and for dissecting British "prejudices, fashions and foib ...

Reception

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote that the film was "Heartfelt and humorous" in its attention to the life of "eccentric" artist Andrew Logan and his creation of the "Alternative Miss World competition". They favorably compare director Jes Benstock's documentary to other works by artist Logan, calling it a "mixed-media collage" through its blending of archival footage and photos, its inclusion of commentary from the artist and his relatives, its inclusion of input from notables from the worlds of art, fashion, music and theater, and inventive animation. ''

Screen Daily ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company which also owned '' Broadcast''. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involv ...

'', in speaking toward the film's study of artist Andrew Logan and his creation of the Alternative Miss World competition in 1972, wrote that the film is an "exuberant and joyous look into the life and work." They note that the film has a "simple structure" that ties together two aspects of Logan's life, his career as an alternative artist and creation of the Alternative Miss World competition, and Logan's 2009 search for a venue and the subsequent design and staging of the latter event. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' in describing the film wrote that: "The events are a very English combination of carnival, kids' dressing-up parties, drag balls and PoW camp shows." and "...this playful movie is partly a biography of the gay, ever-cheerful, Oxford-educated sculptor Andrew Logan and the extravagantly staged Alternative Miss World shows he's been putting on at various London venues since 1972."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:British Guide to Showing Off, The British documentary films 2010s British films