The Missionary Review

Missionary, The
A dedicated missionary, engaged to be married, finds that his next assignment is to redeem the fallen women of London's slums…

by Scott Russon |
Published on
Release Date:

01 Jan 1982

Running Time:

0 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Missionary, The

Reverend Fortescue (Michael Palin) on his return from his work abroad is given the exhausting mission of redeeming the prostitutes of Edwardian London's docklands - all in the name of the Lord, of course. He hopes his fiancee will veto the whole idea but is so hopelessly naive that she fails to understand the implications of the assignment. Meanwhile his aristocratic benefactor has certain previsos underlining her financial assistance as well. Farce and innuendo ensue.

There's a very familiar 'BBC on a Sunday evening' feel to this film, with its eccentric characters and buckets of innuendo. As Palin - also the writer - was once a contributor for Barker and Corbett, is it surprising that it plays like a long sketch from The Two Ronnies?

An eccentric, titillating farce that is frankly beneath its writers and its star
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