Review of Irma Vep (1996) by Reece L — 15 Oct 2015

Irma Vep isn't nearly as probing as it thinks it is, content to make its simplistic criticism of french cinema plain instead of opting for subtlety. Its rushed production is obvious as well; the whole thing feels remarkably slapdash, relying on the charm of Maggie Cheung to enliven the lackluster material driving the project.

This kind of thing isn't remotely new (François Truffaut's Day for Night touches on the same exact themes with more success, infusing genuine heart into its backstage antics as opposed to Irma Vep's adherence to an intentionally awkward, cold level of detachment) and this fact renders Assayas's film moderately redundant, a mildly amusing bit of navel-gazing that could've been more had more care gone into its construction.