There is something so beautiful about going to see a film without knowing anything about it. I think that part of the problem with today’s film consumption culture is that we love to know the ending before we see the film. Whether that be through a review in Entertainment Weekly or a brief skim of Wikipedia while in line to buy a ticket, we want instant gratification.
But that is not what film is, and I had the pleasure of
revisiting this antiquated, superior idea on Monday evening when I settled into
my dead center of the room seat after purchasing a ticket to see PERSONAL
SHOPPER at Nashville’s The Belcourt Theater.
There were about five other people in the theater with me,
all of whom looked to be Vanderbilt grad students who had nothing better to do
on a Monday night. As the opening credits started to roll, I realized that I
was about to watch a French film that just happened to star Kristen Stewart.
Even more surprising is that PERSONAL SHOPPER won the Prix de la Mis en Scene
at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016- it was awarded to director Olivier Assayas.
The award is given to the “Best Director” of all the films
in festival, and previous winners have included Joel Coen, David Lynch, and
Alejandro Gozalez Inarritu. Knowing this, I immediately started to realize that
I would be in for a treat, but, having grown up in the age of Twilight, I
thought that there could be no way that Kristen Stewart was actually attached
to a really well-done film.
 |
| Kristen Stewart in Personal Shopper From Twitter |
For starters, I realized that this film was a horror/thriller
within minutes, a pleasant surprise for this lover of the macabre. Stewart
plays a young woman named Maureen who lives in Paris and is trying to make a
connection with her dead twin brother. While she “waits” for him, Maureen makes
a living by being a personal shopper to a high-end fashion model. On one of her
shopping errands, Maureen receives a text from a blocked number. She thinks
that her brother is finally reaching out to her.
From start to finish, Assayas built suspense flawlessly. I
often found myself on edge and able to feel my heart pounding in my chest.
Furthermore, Stewart actually gave an incredible performance. As the film
progressed, she added depth and desperation to her sad character. It was
beautiful to watch. The most outstanding aspect of the film, however, was the
text messages between Maureen and the unknown number. Like Maureen, I felt
anxious and intrigued by the messages. Never have I seen modern communication
executed so flawlessly on screen. Assayas and his team deserve an enormous
well-done.
There only part of the film that I was not a big fan of were
the end-of-scene fade outs. They were often harsh and startling, and I do not
believe that they served any purpose other than to signal the end of a scene.
Quite honestly, they were a bit hokey and took away from the otherwise
excellent film. Like other French thrillers and horror, it is my opinion that
PERSONAL SHOPPER would have been better had there been strict cuts between
scenes.
 |
| Image from Twitter |
French
cinema is making a triumphant come back, and it has been a pleasure to watch it
regain its top of the line status. From BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR to ELLE to
RAW to PERSONAL SHOPPER, the French have figured out how to tap into the human
psyche and make films that are unique yet realistic to the human experience. It
is also the year of horror and thrillers, and, to me, there is nothing better
than witnessing a well-executed horror film. I cannot wait to see what else
comes out in this genre throughout the coming years. If PERSONAL SHOPPER is any indication,
the world is in for a haunting treat.
Woman-O-Meter:
6 Pumps_________________________________________________________________________________
How did we rate this? http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2017/03/rating-womens-films-woman-o-meter-seeks.html