[FilmReview]IrmaVep(1996)7.5/10

Presumablynooneshouldgrudgeafilmdirectorformakingamovieasalovelettertowoohisfuturewife,itistotallyhisdejureentitlement.IRMAVEP(thenameisananagramofVAMPIRE)isovertlyOlivierAssayas’tokenofloveforMaggieCheung,whowouldmarryhimin1998,onlytheirreunionwouldsoondissolve3yearslater,cappedbyaunusualvaledictoryprojectCLEAN(2004),whichturnsouttobequiteacurate’seggforherfans,itcoppedheraBESTACTRESStitleinCannes,butalsoheraldsherunmitigatedhibernationfromthescreentodate.AFrenchold-schoolfilmmakerRenéVidal(Léaud,sportinganinarticulateEnglishinsullennessandfatigue),ismakinghislatestwork,aremakeofLouisFeuillade’ssilentcrimeserialLESVAMPIRES(1915-1916,10episodesintoto)andfingersaHongKongactress(Maggiearchlyplaysherselfwithsincerityanddetachment)fortheleadingroleIrmaVep,afelineParisianburglaroutfitwithasuperfinelatexcatsuit(herracialchangeoverwouldbecomeanissueinthelaterstage).MaggiearrivesaloneinParistoshootherpart,andsoonbecomesconviviallydiscombobulatedàlaLOSTINTRANSLATION(2003)amidtherumbustiousfilmingproceedings,inparticular,cannotgraspwhatRenétrulywantsinher.SheisbefriendedbyZoé(Richard,whoispricklyandgabbytoagreatextentofspontaneity),thecostumedesigner,whoatfirstbringshertoasexshoptotrytheoutfit,andlaterafriendgatheringwheresheconfidesherattractionofMaggietoMireille(Ogier),onlytoherchagrinthatthelattercannotkeepasecret,whichcastsanambiguoustensionbetweentheirfresh,tentativebond,eventually,thereisabarbetweenoccidentalgregariousnessandorientalpropriety,Assayasknowsbest.ThroughAssayas’intimateeyeandDPEricGautier’sserpentinecamerachoreography,asatiricalunderstatementofthatuniqueGallicneurosistemperedwithaweirdmixtureofangstandentropy,pervadesthesceneryandheavilyhingesontempestuousverbalexchanges,whetheritisintheworkingplaceorprivateoccasions.Thisfaux-documentarystylebecomesallthemoremesmerizingwhenAssayasoffersaslice-of-lifedissectionofthetoxic,fickleindustryitselfunderitsspectacularmise-en-abymefront.Whereastheproductionslowlyveersintoadownwardspiral,buffetedbydisastrousrushes-screening,harshcriticismfromjournalists,anervousbreakdownandcompoundingriftamongstaff,Maggie’sownsearchforhercharactertakesabewitchinglyoneiricturninsidethehotelshestays,atrance-likeescapadecoupledwiththecacophonyofSonicYouthandafluorescentrainingnight,actuatesasurrealkickthatisdecadentlydelectable.Bookendedbytheblack-and-whitemontageofMaggie’sIrmaVepinitsraw,solarizedandpost-editedrandomness,Assayas’conceithitsthehomerun,hewinsthegirlandwearealsoproperswooned.referentialentries:Assayas’PERSONALSHOPPER(2016,7.1/10),CLOUDSOFSILMARIA(2014,7.0/10),CLEAN(2004,6.9/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。