Review of Irma Vep (1996) by Matthew S — 05 Oct 2013

This is a movie that one will either love or hate. I doubt that there are few people who will view it and find it to be "ok" -- it demands a reaction. Filmed in 1996, Olivier Assayas' thoughtful cinematic essay on 'the art of French Film' is so cool it almost burns. From the music on the soundtrack (Sonic Youth / Luna / Ry Cooder) , the slickly planned "verite-ish" camera work and the kink costume - this movie is totally late 1990's chic cool. But there is much more going on here that being cool. Assayas is exploring the past, current and future state of French Cinema. The "plot" of the film is an older and emotionally fragile filmmaker attempting to remake the historic and cinematically-relavent Louis Feuillade and his iconic silent film serial, LES VAMPIRES. ...A work that you will recognize upon site even if you've not seen any of it.

Feuillade's films were both very French and yet universally appealing. LES VAMPIRES was not afraid of being entertaining for the sake of entertainment but it was also stylized and oddly erotic. And, Feuillade's work remains interestingly current in both look and plot. Assayas film captures a confused and chaotic film crew attempting to both please their director and push against him. The characters, including a particularly annoying TV Journalist, hold the production in contempt for several reasons: it is not commercial enough to make money, it is being made for the French Intelligentsia and more than a few feel it odd that the director has chosen an Asian actress (played with natural brilliance and beauty by Maggie Cheung) in an Iconic Role of French Cinema. As another filmmaker notes, why cast a Chinese woman to play a character who was created to represent The French Lower Class?

The film gives its final punch when we, along with the cast, see the small amount of edited footage created by the fictional director. The small bit of footage is inspiring, artistic, disturbing and something all together new -- and, yes, cool.

If you love Cinema, and you have a particular fondness for French Nouvelle Vague -- you will love Olivier Assayas slick and totally cool meditation of the state of French Cinema.