Blast from the past hits the big screen
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE (15, 91 mins)
AT ITS peak in the mid-1990s, Absolutely Fabulous was a scalpel-sharp satire of bloated celebrity culture that lived up to its title.
Joanna Lumley’s distinguished career was resuscitated as a boozesoaked, chain-smoking, sex-crazed vamp, while Jennifer Saunders reaffirmed her talent as a writer of hilariously grotesque characters and impeccably tailored oneliners.
More than 20 years later, this glossy feature film directed by Mandie Fletcher has lost some of the brand’s lustre, exemplified by lead characters whose morning regime includes Botox injections, DIY liposuction and a generous smear of selfdelusion.
There are more fleeting A-list cameos than side-splitting guffaws and some of the gossamerthin plot threads dangle pointlessly in the wind.
Thankfully, the rapport between the central double-act still sparkles like freshly corked champagne and the script boasts vignettes of comic genius.
Life is tough for PR doyenne Edina Monsoon (Saunders). Her client list has thinned to Lulu and Emma Bunton and she continues to clash with strait-laced daughter Saffy (Julia Sawalha).
To add insult to injury, Edina’s lucrative book deal for her memoir collapses when an editor (Mark Gatiss) points out she has nothing to say.
Thankfully, best friend Patsy Stone (Lumley) is in the media eye and her magazine is sponsoring a lavish party for enigmatic designer Huki Muki (Jan- ette Tough).
Kate Moss, who is between publicists, is due to attend the soiree and Edina vows to add the supermodel to her dwindling client roster before arch rival Claudia Bing (Celia Imrie).
The scheme goes tragically awry and the fashion world points the finger of blame for Moss’ demise at Edina and Patsy.
When ditzy secretary Bubble (Jane Horrocks) vanishes too, Edina and Patsy decide to flee to the Cote d’Azur.
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie trades heavily on nostalgia and some gags fall flat, but there are also well-placed pokes in the ribs for current fads
Sawalha is the emotional heart of the film, leading to unexpected mother-daughter bonding that threatens to test the cast’s and the target audience’s waterproof mascara.