In Fabric — A Review

18th June, 2021.

OK: you’ve watched the introductory video, haven’t you … ?

I hope so.

If you have, you’ll realise that — at the time I made the thing — I hadn’t made my mind up about what to watch.

Amongst other options?

I had both Lucas’ THX1138, and Besson’s Léon: The Professional.

Something I may catch, another time.

I’ve settled for the Peter Strickland directed Giallo-esque, In Fabric.

Yes: I’m going to bed, and carrying this post on, tomorrow.

But, yes: I think I’ve just seen something amazing … 

~≈👗≈~

19th June, 2021.

Just as a word, before I tell you about last night’s movie … ?

I’m listening to In Fabric’s soundtrack.

Sounding like a twisted version of Tubular Bells, with overtones of Cabaret Voltaire’s more accessible stuff?

It’s definitely worth listening to.

Let’s get a move on, shall we?

~≈👗≈~

Set in the fictional Thames-on-Thames Valley, In Fabric opens with a montage of the film’s events.

And of a nineteen-seventies style catalogue, and personal ads, then moves to show us Sheila (Marianne Jean-Baptiste): a single mother in her fifties who is unhappy with her employers criticisms, not getting on with her son’s new girlfriend … and, in an effort to lift her morale, looking to start dating again.

We follow her buying a dress from the winter sale at Dentley and Soper’s.

It seems Miss Luckmoore (Fatma Mohamed), the shop assistant, has just the thing: a red dress that Sheila doesn’t know was the last thing worn by the catalogue model, before the latter died in a car-crash.

After Sheila wears the thing on an unsuccessful first date … ?

She notices a strange rash.

Sees her washing machine wreck itself, when she puts the dress through it.

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Notices the dress is unharmed: after a dog attacks her, whilst she’s wearing it.

Which is when Sheila decides to return the dress to the shop: it’s more trouble than it’s worth

~≈👗≈~

We next see the dress being bought at a charity shop: and being worn by washing machine repair man, Reg Speak (Leo Bill), at his stag do.

THEN tried out by his fiancee, Babs (Hayley Squires)

Reg … ?

Has a rash: something he notices before he sees his washing machine destroyed, once the dress goes through it.

Not knowing Reg has the rash … ?

Babs has also tried the dress … 

But only notices the rash, once she’s in the changing rooms of Dentley and Soper’s.

Not knowing her fiancee is in danger: and not knowing the store is the last place to be …

~≈👗≈~

Now … what did I think … ?

I think I spent two hours, last night, watching one hell of a film.

Can I make a confession?

I’ve not seen an Italian Giallo film: not even the genre’s seminal works, by the likes of Dario Argento.

Something I have to correct, at some point.

I’m assuming that Peter Strickland — director of both In Fabric, and Berberian Sound Studio — is something of a fan.

At least that’s the impression I get: from the very little I know about the genre.

I do know I’ve seen a film with a visual style style that harks back to the seventies.  It comes across as a nightmare version of a Pearl and Dean advert on steroids: only with a heftier ensemble cast.

Gwendoline Christie caught my attention: In Fabric makes more use of her, than ever the Star Wars franchise ever did.

The real star of In Fabric?

Is Fatma Mohamed as the menacing Miss Luckmoore: somewhere between Phantasm’s Tall Man, Shakespeares witches, and the Uncanny Valley occupied by some of the more realistic androids.

Fatma’s performance is worth the ticket price, alone.

Frankly?

I don’t know if In Fabric is strictly a giallo: although I believe it could be.

I do know I saw a very good film, last night.

In Fabric.

★★★★