Absolutely Fabulous (or ‘Ab Fab’ as its devotees affectionately call it) is a BBC television sitcom, created by comedians Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French as part of their show. It spun-off into a long-running series.
The premise is about two middle-aged women who engage in a series of comical escapades. The “situation” is the world of celebrity, magazines and public relations. Jennifer Saunders plays the character Edina Monsoon, a heavy-drinking PR agent. The character is obsessed with keeping young and “hip.” Joanna Lumley portrays Patsy Stone, a fashion magazine editor who engages in outrageous behaviour, to great comic effect. Other regular characters are Saffron (Julia Sawalha), Edina’s cynical daughter; Edina’s mother, played by June Whitfield; and Edina’s assistant Bubble, played by Jane Horrocks.
Taking a beloved television comedy and turning it into a successful movie is difficult. Over the years there have been far more “misses” than “hits.” With the Absolutely Fabulous offering, the cast and crew manage to pull things off. The movie is not always rib-tickling funny, but there are sufficient laughs to sustain the narrative over 90 minutes. In fact, the celebrity watching, through the regular use of cameos, helps spread the finer comedy moments out. The movie also gallops at a fast pace, so even with the clunkier moments a laugh is soon delivered.
The movie follows on from the television series. It is directed by Mandie Fletcher and written by Jennifer Saunders. Without divulging too much plot, the focus of the story is that Edina (Saunder’s character) believes she has accidently killed the supermodel Kate Moss (played by herself). With this, the characters Edina and Patsy go on the run to the south of France, avoiding law enforcement, the paparazzi and various celebrities around Cannes.
Of the cast, Joanna Lumley in particular is a blast and she attracts the best of the comical moments. There’s a movie-stealing self Botoxing moment which is incredibly funny.
The movie packs in a host of big names, playing themselves. Some are key to the plot; others are there for the sake of saying ‘who was that?’ As well as Moss, other big names include Tinie Tempah, Daisy Lowe, Perez Hilton, Alexa Chung, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Hamm and Lulu. There are scores of others (this is a comedy that rests firmly on familiarity.) Australian singer Kylie Minogue sings the movie’s theme song, titled “This Wheel’s on Fire.”
While the focus of the movie is primarily comedy, it does contain a few poignant moments, not least the need to accept the ageing process, and the importance of family.
The movie is proving popular on social media. Entertainer Richard Osman (@richardosman) tweeted: “Really enjoyed the AbFab movie. Everybody on great form, a proper British treat.” Paul McCartney’s daughter, fashion designer Stella, tweeted that she was heading off to the see the movie; and television presenter Susanna Reid (@susannareid100) enthused: “You’re fabulous – no, you are!” #AbFab the Movie – and its brilliant stars Jennifer Saunders & Joanna Lumley.”
Digital Journal rating: 4 out of 5.
