By Liz Lopez
Rating: C+
For anyone looking for a great cinematic film, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, is not the one to pick. I do recommend this film, based on a 1990s British prime-time sitcom, as one when a group of friends wants to get away from it all one afternoon when it is too hot to be out in the summer heat. No doubt each one will find something to laugh about as the two featured characters, both older women, know how to behave badly and have no shame. Directed by Mandie Fletcher from on a screenplay by Jennifer Saunders, based on her television series, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie features the publicist Edina “Eddy” Monsoon (Saunders) and her tall blonde BFF, Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley). Not all viewers will be able to sink their teeth into the story of extremely spoiled individuals who live in wealth beyond most normal people’s dreams and these characters still want more after they have burned right through what they have been provided. It is absurd, but it then too, quite sad that an irresponsible elder woman with an independent business goes to the lengths that she does to be accepted.
On a positive note, the film has many cameos, including Joan Collins, Jon Hamm, Perez Hilton, Rebel Wilson (as a flight attendant) among others, as well as the 1960s pop pixie, Lulu, who portrays Eddy’s oldest and most disgruntled client. There is a great scene in a club that has a “singalong” to At Seventeen, and one early in the film with Patsy at a party where Jon Hamm does not seem happy to see her after “jogging his memory” a bit.
In the film, Eddy is working toward securing a new client, Kate Moss (as herself), but something goes terribly wrong when there is an accident, and Eddy makes headlines as the one to blame. To say the least, Eddy’s “plain Jane” daughter, Saffron (Julia Sawalha) and teen granddaughter Lola (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) are not on board with her actions. Eddy’s mom (played by June Whitfield) seems to be clueless about what her daughter does, yet she too is all too ready to fly off on vacation with other elders and not bother with what Eddy has gotten herself into. Eddy’s assistant, Bubble (Jane Horrocks) does as much as possible for her boss, but ultimately, she is also smart to take care of herself as we see later in the film.
Some people may ask why bother to go view the film and Eddy may just respond as he does in the film, “Because it’s bloody good fun.” This is one film where I will say choose wisely where to spend your movie dollars, especially if you have never seen a television episode. All of us have different opinions of what we call fun.
Among the additional cast members are Chris Colfer, Celia Imrie, Kathy Burke, Emma Bunton, Robert Webb, Barry Humphries, Mo Gaffney, Christopher Ryan, Mark Gatiss, Jerry Hall, Gwendoline Christie, Jeremy Paxman and Jean-Paul Gaultier.
MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 91 minutes.
Source: Fox Searchlight