Director: Samuel Abrahams

Stars: Sian Clifford, Juliet Cowan, Laurie Kynaston

The estimable Sian Clifford throws everything she’s got and manages to wring some laughs out of this unoriginal comedy mockumentary, the debut from writer-director Simon Abrahams. She is Lady Isabella, an eccentric aristocrat who lives in a massive country estate. Kynaston is Abrahams’ surrogate Sam, an insecure young director who visits the manor with his crew under the impression that they are doing a documentary about Lady Isabella for Netflix. The gauche and inappropriate Lady introduces herself as the aristocracy’s answer to the Kardashians, although, save for her housekeeper and dogsbody (Cowan), she lives in the huge house alone. As Sam gets to know Isabella he discovers that she is a wannabe multimedia artist who wants to enter the local Stately Stars competition, which is normally intended for local children. In an on-the-nose fantasy touch Isabella gradually begins to become invisible. Seeing an opportunity to catch something spicier on film, Sam decides to stay on to film Isabella’s apparent disintegration. It pootles on a steady hum of mild amusement, mainly thanks to Abrahams’ decision to point the camera at Clifford and let her rip, but the socially awkward mockumentary format feels very tired. Scenes where the two get stoned and the now obligatory moments of pathos seem rote.

David Willoughby

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