Director: James Lucas

Stars: Ellie Bamber, Derek Jacobi, Jasmine Blackborow, Tim Downie, Will Tudor

Produced by the titular model, this flimsy picture from writer-director Lucas explores the supposedly transformative friendship that developed between Lucian Freud and Kate Moss in the early noughties. In 2002 Moss (Bamber) agrees to pose for Freud (Jacobi) after they are introduced by Lucian’s daughter Bella (Blackborow). The perennially pressed-for-time and in demand twenty-eight-year-old model is initially irritated by the eighty-year-old artist’s more languid approach, but they grow to respect one another – although the thin script does not really sell their supposed bohemian rapport. Jacobi is fine but has been here before more or less with his far more substantive role as Francis Bacon in ‘Love is the Devil’. Bamber does her best with what she has to work with as Moss. Far more interesting is the complicated relationship between the negligent artist and his insecure daughter Bella with their scenes together being the only time the picture really crackles to dramatic life. Moss has appeared on the cover of Vogue 127 times the end titles helpfully remind us.

David Willoughby

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