Irma Vep might be director Olivier Assayas’ high-point and the first film I saw of his back in the late 1990s. I’m a fan of Assayas when he also skirts with the thriller genre, the films of his that involve tracking characters through geo-political espionage such as Demonlover, Boarding Gate (one of my faves) and the five hour version of Carlos about Carlos The Jackal. With Personal Shopper (2014), Assayas alludes to the horror genre, playing with its conventions while satisfying his own auteur interests on crossing between countries and following a character on their rounds, people in motion and at work. Set in Paris, the focus is on Kristen Stewart who plays Maureen, a personal shopper for a famous model, Kyra, who she hardly ever physically sees but receives continual orders through her mobile phone. We follow Maureen as she drives a scooter across town and forcefully chooses clothes, jewellery, shoes for Kyra to wear. A ghost story element emerges through the revelation that Maureen is a psychic medium, a talent that she shared with her twin brother Lewis who has recently passed away due to a heart attack. Hoping for a sign and a message, Maureen puts herself into tense, eerie situations such as staying overnight alone in his emptied former house, and answering a series of anonymous texts to her phone. Stewart has such a nervy energy as a performer and remains absolutely compelling as she shifts between personas – fed-up assistant, forceful assistant, intuitive conduit, haunted target. Some might find this silly or boring – I found the film and its style really absorbing. Much like previous Assayas’ movies, which almost become essays in combining ideas and leaving things unresolved, his film collects together different concepts and finds interest in their blurring – historical fascination with spirit mediums and the disembodied connection of social media. There’s something to its mystery and intrigue surrounding the character’s investment in a text message dialogue, for example. Some areas remain unanswered or unseen, less to frustrate the viewer, I think, and more to provide an openness to discuss or think through its ideas and evocations. Also: Phoebe Avenue wrote about this film for an issue of VHS Tracking, the Halloween edition! Rented Personal Shopper on iTunes. Recommended.
VHS Tracking 