Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Review
If there's ever been an excuse to pop open the bolly, the triumphant return of our favourite gruesome twosome in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is it!
What's it all about, darling?
When the star-studded fashion show intro against the thumping beat of Jason Derulo's Get Ugly began, we already knew we were in for a treat! The film has all the partying, booze, crazy fashion, naughtiness and 'sweetie darlings' galore we all know and love from the TV series but now there's the Gen Y additions of DIY Botox and a social media whirlwind, with selfies and Tweets aplenty, which Eddie struggles to understand. ("Do you feed my Twitter?" she asks at one point, mystified!)
The ladies are just as ludicrous yet somehow lovable as back in the 90s - the first crisis of the film is "Where is the champagne?!" (nothing's changed!). Patsy is a fashion editor and Eddie has become something of a washed up PR. A book deal flop prompts even more of a crisis than usual from flappy Edina leading to *SPOILER ALERT!* (though we feel you may have had to be living under a rock not to know this) accidentally knocking Kate Moss into the Thames - as you doâ¦
So what did TruffleShuffle think, sweeties?
We're pleased to report that the heavy-drinking dysfunctional duo are as amazing as ever, with most of the flick's laugh-out-loud moments coming from Eddie and Pats. Joanna Lumley is on top form as chain-smoking, incredibly selfish, platinum-doed bad influence Patsy. When the pair need to make a 'serious plan' to leave the country, it somehow results in drug and vodka-fuelled chaos with Patsy in the mix; she sells Saffy's daughter Lola as a cleaner in Cannes and poses as a man to inherit a rich woman's fortune courtesy of a dodgy looking stick-on moustache!
Eddie is still afraid of being old and fat - one of our favourite parts is the hilarious daydream/nightmare where her beloved designer heels have disappeared and flat frumpy shoes abound - the final step into the doom of old age. "Notâ¦theâ¦sandals!!"
Apart from a few slightly misplaced emotional moments, the pair haven't grown up one bit and this is nicely reassuring to us diehard fans. At times the plot can feel a little meandering but the steady stream of hilarious gags and chemistry between Lumley and Saunders keeps everything sailing along nicely. It would be so weird to see them being sensible - and where would the fun be in that?!
We should also emphasise that the film is a total celeb fest (which you may or may not love!) Personally here at TruffleTowers we thought most of the cameos were great. They were cleverly chosen, with lots of unexpected surprises - Rylan and Rebel Wilson popping up as flight attendants were a particular highlight - and it included plenty of stars willing to send themselves up (Joan Collins and Jean Paul Gaultier, we're looking at you!) The movie also isn't afraid to take the mickey out of celebrity culture - when Kate Moss goes missing, the hugest furore breaks out - from Dawn French insisting that Lily Cole is "heartbrokenâ¦devastatedâ¦" to BBC News's hashtag #iskatedead and shrines all around the country. And (*SPOILER ALERT* - look away now) when Kate eventually turns up, the country's celebrations are something normally reserved for royalty (hello, Red Arrows!)
And of course, the fashion is completely crazy - Bubbles' inflatable hashtag outfit is a favourite and Eddie still dresses like an overexcited child discovering mum's retro wardrobe.
Cheerful, eccentric and thoroughly hedonistic, if you fancy some frivolous fun with your fave 90s ladies, we totally recommend you see this film!
(And if you fancy doing it in style, check out our glam Ab Fab clothing and gifts - from a mug the pair would be proud to sip bubbly from to a divine, must-have tote!)
