Review of Personal Shopper (2016) by Mike S — 20 Mar 2017

It occured to me that it's a testament to a films overall quality when everyone is leaving the screening and you're the only one sitting there completely enthralled from start to finish. I could hear the sighs and moans of people behind me in either absolute boredom of the films slow pace or abhorrent detest for the complete lack of interest. Or maybe it's a show of how the oversaturation of comic book films and action movies within the past 10 years have completely dumbed down mainstream audiences patience and acceptance with slower, well realised films. Either way I was the only person left in the cinema by time the end credits rolled and I didn't move for 2 minutes after in realising I just witnessed something special.

These types of films have never truly been a target for the every day man so the lack of interest is not in the least bit surprising. However, from my own perspective I cannot see why one would want to leave before seeing this through to the end. There's a constant level of everlasting intrigue whether that be with the ins and outs of Maureen's daily activities, the ghost story that acts as less of a threat and more of a constant reminder of what Maureen has lost, or the mystery behind her secretive messenger leading to a murder mystery I certainly never saw coming. It's a euphoric journey from start to finish.

Olivier Assayas' Personal Shopper is a deeply profound character study that tests the viewers patience in the absolute most rewarding way possible. An analogy of how we, as a human race, have come to rely so much on technology to stay connected with not only those around us but an eternal link to the memories of our past. Maureen is a lost soul trapped in an existence that no longer feels real. She has lost sight of what she believes and never truly returns to the life she once had, stuck in a job she hates because of a bond, a pact she created with her brother which won't let her escape. She longs to be someone she isn't just to feel reconnected with reality.

Personal Shopper is a film that will stick with me for a long time. One that I will come back to many times in the many years to come. A profound and personal journal of compassionate self and discovery.