Edina and Patsy Take the Bubbly to the Big Screen in the Outrageously Hilarious ‘Absolutely Fabulous’

Sandra Miska

Legendary British funny ladies Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley prove one is never too old to be a hot mess in “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie,” the film based on their long-running BBC sitcom. Saunders, who wrote the screenplay, stars as Edina Monsoon, a London publicist who has seen better days. Her career setbacks haven’t stopped her from partying hard with her best friend Patsy Stone (Lumley), a fashion magazine editor.

We first meet the ladies partying it up at London fashion week, guzzling champagne and wreaking havoc with the likes of “Game of Thrones” star Gwendoline Christie,  in an outlandish opening sequence that sets the tone for the rest of film. Although in their sixties, Edina and Patsy show no signs of slowing down.

Bringing some normalcy into Edina’s life is her daughter Saffron (Julia Sawalha), a single mom who lives with her 13-year-old daughter Lola (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) in Edina’s fab West London home. Saffron still longs for her mother to become stable and strives to be the voice of reason. For Edina, it takes impending financial ruin and an empty wine cellar for her to take a closer look at herself.

Edina is no longer at the top of the PR game; her only clients being the aging (but still fab) pop star Lulu and Emma Bunton, a.k.a. Baby Spice. Further threatening her opulent lifestyle is her former husband Marshall (Christopher Ryan), who can no longer help support her because the need of funds for his gender transition. Edina has an opportunity to have her memoirs published, but the publisher rejects her by saying that although her life may be fun to live, it’s not worth reading about. Little does he know that the public interest in Edina is about to spike dramatically.

After being tipped off by Patsy that Kate Moss is shopping for a new publicist, the pair tracks the supermodel down at another wild soiree where Edina accidentally knocks Moss over a balcony and into the Thames River, possibly killing her. To escape the media firestorm, they flee to France, where hilarity ensues.

The film is chock-full of celebrity cameos (for instance, Jon Hamm, who is revealed to have been deflowered by Patsy) and while “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” doesn’t boast the tightest script ever, it’s filled with laughs and allows Saunders and Lumley to showcase the raunchy comedy that made them famous.  Edina and Patsy may not be feminist role models, but their longstanding friendship is inspirational and the film has a strong message about female solidarity.

“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” opens July 22 nationwide.