(2026) Lady

Yesterday (Oct.31) I watched this new British movie at my favorite indie theater - Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Arts. This was my first trip there after I returned from Tbilisi and I was happy to renew my membership and pick up their November schedule.

I went to see the movie with little information or knowledge about the film and its director. This short description on Cinematheque's website was enough to attract my attention:

Sian Clifford (Fleabag) creates the unforgettable character, Lady Isabella, in this absurdist comedy that blends elements of reality television, class commentary, and surrealism to create a wholly unique film. A once-hot filmmaker is looking for a new project to help him regain his footing. When he is offered the chance to helm a reality show filming an eccentric aristocrat, he has no idea what’s really in store for him and his crew. “Initially playing like a now-familiar eat the rich satire, Samuel Abrahams’ debut feature slowly evolves into something unexpected and far more interesting” –

Nikki Baughan, Screen Daily.

My son is an experiential documentary film-maker, so I am always fascinated by observational and experiential films. The description of Lady as a mockumentary added to my interest along with remembering Sian Clifford in Fleabag as a deep-range actor playing the uptight, high-achieving older sister of the title character.

In Lady, you'll laugh from the very start, when the TV crew arrives, supposedly by an invitation for a Netflix project, at the home of an eccentric, entitled and self-absorbed aristocrat, who in her own words wanted to make a reality TV project, the British aristocracy's answer to The Kardashians. Lady Isabella will meet and exceed all those expectations by hunting an ice bucket through her 26-bedroom castle, not remembering anything about her loyal (or royal, as she demands to be addressed as 'my lady') aid Becky who seems to be more than a cook/cleaner but rather a personal assistant and even an observant expert of Isabella's personality.

But then something happens in the film and as Isabella starts developing a relationship with the TV crew's director, even suggesting to adopt him, it evolves into something completely different and unexpected. It's no longer just a satire on an eccentric attention-hungry British aristocrat who wants to enter her own children's competition, the one she sponsors every year, as a participant. I don't want to spoil the deep reveal relating to her son, but I will mention what is mentioned in other sources, including the movie trailer: lady Isabella starts to literally disappear, becoming translucent and invisible to others. The metaphor of not being seen in her true humanity becomes quite literal and in many ways unsettling until the moment you realize WHY he is disappearing.

It all works out in the end (yes, the film does have a somewhat happy end), but the two moments that really played on my empathy strings were (1) when Isabella suddenly felt extremely vulnerable and exposed in her nakedness during her talent competition's after-party performance; and (2) when she unveils the statue that was veiled from the very beginning of the movie, giving out horror-movie vibes. You will get a relief and understanding of her character from that unveiling.

I loved everything about this movie, starting with the clear reality TV feel to it, created by the shaky unstable camera following the characters everywhere and constantly violating the boundaries between the private and the public, even when the film director tells the camera man to respect them, and ending with the deep humanity and loneliness message behind the movie. I don't want to reveal more about it, but here is the movie trailer for you to get an idea:

And if you are interested in other works of Samuel Abrahams, here's his website. I am glad I have discovered this British writer-director who, until quite recently, was known mainly for short films, documentaries, and commercials rather than feature films. His feature debut is a great success in my eyes and I highly recommend it.

And this is the link to his charming award-winning 4-minute short, Connect: