LADY
Samuel Abraham‘s feature-length directorial debut LADY is an unhinged portrait of identity and connection. This magical realism mockumentary comedy follows isolated English aristocrat Isabella Ravenhyde as she invites an ambitious filmmaker and his small crew to film her and her vast estate for Netflix. Within minutes of their arrival, it is quickly revealed to be a ruse. Co-host of an annual talent show for underprivileged youth called Stately Stars, Isabella believes that if she can win her own competition, Netflix will surely take notice.
Very suddenly, Isabella’s hands disappear. Caught on camera, Sam believes this is his one shot to cash in on this strange occurrence and make a one-of-a-kind film. The translucency climbs, but Isabella refuses to see a doctor. She is hell-bent on finding her path to success through experimental performance art.
The more Sam examines Isabella’s footage and her odd behavior, the more enamored he becomes with her enigmatic existence, blurring the lines between subject and filmmaker.
Laurie Kynaston is charming and easy-going as Sam. He is a delightful foil for Isabella’s unwavering whimsy. Kynaston’s vulnerability is only matched by his co-star. Sian Clifford is diabolically delicious. A purely eccentric performance akin to Grey Gardens. Her nuanced idiocracies and unresolved trauma all play a role in Izzy. A freight train of narcissism and caricature behavior, Clifford delivers sheer comedic brilliance.
The handheld camerawork is equally dizzying and entrancing. Cinematographer Korsshan Schlauer and editor Josh Mallalieu keep your eyes darting from one corner of the screen to the other with beautiful imagery and gorgeous framing.
Filmed entirely on location at Somerleyton Hall in Suffolk, England, with production design straight out of Architectural Digest. Costumes are both remarkably wacky and incredibly elegant.
The film is a unique metaphor for feeling seen and a surprising meditation on grief; it is inarguably one of the year’s best films. LADY dazzles with its sumptuous setting, hilarious premise, and Sian Clifford’s tour de force turn. It is relentlessly quirky, ultimately overflowing with heart
Release: Theatrical in NY on 10/2 and LA on 10/9
Writer/Director: Samuel Abrahams
Writer: Miranda Campbell Bowling
Cast: Sian Clifford, Laurie Kynaston, Juliet Cowan, Olisa Odele, Jacob Masterson, Autumn Halse, Emma Buckworth, Olivia Norton
Producers: Anna Mohr-Pietsch, Stewart le Maréchal
Executive Producers: Jonny Persey, Maggie Glastonbury, Sean O’Shea, Tom Balkwill
Genre: Comedy, Mockumentary
Rating: Unrated
Run-time: 95 minutes
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