Absolutely Fabulous - Finally! Movie Release July 22nd

IT’S AB FAB AT THE MOVIES!

If you don’t like Absolutely Fabulous, we can’t be BFFs.  We speak different languages, sweetie.  If you do, I have great news.  The girls are back. Absolutely Fabulous: the Movie is unleashed; its twenty years on and thankfully, little has changed.  It still has that je ne sais quoi for the ages. 

Jennifer Saunders’  ‘90’s TV sitcom was landmark television never equalled, for women at least, as a fond look at friendship, the search for fake meaning and the next bottle of Bolly.  Eddie and Pats (Saunders and Joanna Lumley) two slightly older pals since school go on surreal, hilarious adventures in what is one of the best loved – and quotable- comedy series of all time.

The gals navigate London’s fashion and arts scene as ersatz publicists and magazine editors, living off Eddie’s multiple divorce settlements. They are more entitled than a millennial, they’re shamelessly addicted to drugs and drink, often unable to walk and certainly unable to exit a car gracefully.  The familiarity is heartwarming.  A happy place.

Everyone’s back – Saffie, Eddie’s uptight, controlling daughter, Bubbles the dumb-as-a-fox personal assistant and dotty Mother. Oodles of British celebrity cameos and a Yank or two – watch for the rolling out of John Hamm.

Things are looking rosy, Eddie is this close to signing Kate Moss but unfortunately, she knocks her into the Thames.  To avoid murder charges, Eddie and Pats make haste to the south of France and…

Keep your eyes and ears open because the visual gags are genius and come as fast and furious as the Eddie’s verbal meltdowns.  Blink and you’ll miss something ab fab, like Patsy’s catheter!

STAR TREK BEYOND

Star Trek Beyond the third offering in the rebooted series, and extension of one of the most successful, longest-running franchises in entertainment history stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and as the villain Idris Elba who hails from the furthest reaches of the universe. You see? Moving to the moon or space won’t necessarily solve our problems as a society.  Villains are everywhere.  Catch the most eye popping visuals state of the art can provide, this week anyway, the handsome leads and a story that adheres to the Star Trek trademark.  Playful interactions, snappy dialogue and a gob-smacking drone attack are yours for the price of a ticket.

ICE AGE COLLISION COURSE

Ice Age Collision Course may be for kids, but adults who saw Gravity and The Martian will get a kick out of this not-so subtle parody. Skrat that acorn-mad rodent of some kind who literally chases a nut to the ends of the earth in the original short stars in this space age iteration along with his buddies, mastodon, sabre tooth tiger, meerkat and mammoth.  His concern is not nuts this time; it’s saving the earth from an oncoming hail of meteorites that would destroy it.  Funny and let’s face it, adorable. Listen for Neil deGrasse Tyson as Neil deBuck Weasel.

LIGHTS OUT

If horror is your meat then Lights Out is for you. Theresa Palmer plays a woman whose childhood night terrors left her emotionally and psychically scarred must return home to help her young brother. He’s suffering the same torments, terror attacks by an unknown entity that exists somewhere in the house.  The disturbances may be related to the grisly murder of her mother’s friend decades earlier. Sturdy stuff produced by boundary-busting, nuanced horror whiz kid James Wan.  Not as horrific as the Republican National Convention because that was real.

LIFE ANIMATED

Life, Animated is an emotional documentary concerning the growth and development of a young adult with autism.  His parents realised when he was a toddler that he didn’t respond to people, just to Disney movies and over time, they became his portal to interpreting the world.  His parents had been told he might never speak or make eye contact or connect with others, but today he lives independently and teaches courses in Disney to other young people.  It’s an astonishing and rewarding film that reminds us that there’s nothing more fascinating than people.

THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble is a revelation. Some of the world’s greatest musicians, led by YoY o Ma, have undertaken an annual bus trip to bring music to parks, homes and small spaces just for the love of it.  It’s interesting to see people watching them play out in the open when they have no idea who they are or the concentration of world class talent they’re seeing.  All they know is it sounds great, lifts their spirits and inspires thought.   Ma leads musicians from China, Iran, Spain, Greece, as they experiment “in the wild”, describe their philosophies of life and share their musical gifts.  Absolutely de riguer for music lovers.