221. Lady Boss - The Jackie Collins Story; movie review

LADY BOSS - THE JACKIE COLLINS STORY

Cert 15

97 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong sex references, domestic abuse references

Apparently, Joan Collins believes that her deceased younger sister visits her in the shape of a fruit fly.

Yep, that is one of the takeaways from this tribute to Jackie Collins, the queen of trash-sex novels.

Jackie and Joan's sibling rivalry is one of the marker points in a chronology of a surprisingly tragic and yet successful life.

The author of The Stud and The Bitch had initially lived in Joan's shadow when the latter became a famous actress in the 1950s.

By the late 70s, Jackie was in the limelight thanks to her bestsellers and Joan's career was nearing the bin.

Ironically, starring in two of Jackie's movie adaptations saved it and she became stratospheric when given a starring role in Dynasty.

However, Joan is painted with black edges during Laura Fairrie's Lady Boss - The Jackie Collins Story.

Despite this, she is a significant contributor to the documentary alongside all of Jackie's children and her closest friends.

They chronicle Jackie's life from childhood and then being invited by her sister to Hollywood where she began to hear the stories of the rich and famous.

Footage and photos from the time show how Jackie's confidence grew but she was set back by a difficult first marriage to a depressive who committed suicide.

Thankfully, she bounced back and her second husband became the rock who persuaded her to find a publisher for The World Is Full Of Married Men.

It turned into a worldwide bestseller and there was no turning back.

Fairrie's movie is very much a tribute to Collins rather than a warts-and-all biopic.

However, it does allow debate about the merits of her as a writer. Clearly, there are those who would argue that she wrote trash lit but they can't argue with her numbers.

Jackie Collins sold hundreds of millions of books. Therefore, she is a deserved subject of a documentary.

However, those searching for gossip about the stars will be disappointed.

Reasons to watch: Insight into success and tragedy of an icon

Reasons to avoid: Tribute rather than biopic

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Jackie Collins was the author of 32 novels, all of which placed on The New York Times Best Seller List. Since publishing her debut novel in 1968, Collins's books have sold more than 500 million copies in 40 countries. 

The final word. Jackie Collins: "The characters I write about I tone down. I couldn’t write the real truth.” 

 

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