Like another of 2019’s best
films, László Nemes’ Sunset, In
Fabric is centered around a de-
partment store that appears to
be a front for sinister goings on.
The store in question, Dentley &
Soper’s, broadcasts a psychedelic
commercial - soundtracked by an
electronic jingle that recalls those
creepy ‘70s British safety aware-
ness shorts - that seems to lure
customers to the store like rats
to the Pied Piper. One such visi-
tor is the recently divorced Sheila
(Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who fan-
cies a new dress for an upcoming
blind date. Giving in to the world’s
most oppressive store clerk, the
vampiric Miss Luckmoore (Fatma
Mohamed) - whose unique sales
technique involves speaking in
florid riddles like a pretentious
fortune cookie (“the hesitation in
your voice, soon to be an echo
in the recesses of the spheres of
retail”) - Sheila buys a glamorous
red dress that makes her feel like a
new woman when she tries it on.
The blind date - with a moody git
who insists on using a coupon that
Watch the trailer for In Fabric
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 65
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