2016’s “Personal Shopper”, directed by Oliver Assayas.
Starring Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger, Sigrid Bouaziz,
Anders Danielsen Lie, Ty Olwin, Hammou Graia, Nora von Waldstatten, Benjamin
Biolay, and Audrey Bonnet.
Personal Shopper isn’t a ghost story in the traditional sense, in that it isn’t
necessarily just about things that go bump in the night. Kristen Stewart stars
as a American ex-patriot working in Paris, as a personal shopper for
rich/famous people. She’s indifferent to the job (and learning french beyond
“thank you”), hates her employer, and seems to be suffering from some sort of
spiritual crisis. A family member of hers has recently died, and she is so focused
on becoming a medium as a way to communicate with the dead, that she sticks
around, despite having a boyfriend working in the country of Oman. What follows
involves the supernatural and the murder of characters, but even more so in the
words of Dave Eggers, “What is the What?”
Difficult to classify, “PS” has moments of hair raising
tension, lovely poetic grace, suspenseful mystery, and even breathless
stalking, as Stewart goes about her routine, a combination of apathy and thrills.
Her character is one who is curious and passionate about her hobby, but bored
and listless at her day job- unless trying on her employer’s expensive clothing
of questionable value. It’s vibe is very European, with scenes of mundane every
day life coupled with chills and our protagonist taking time for some self
pleasure. Stewart continues her run to annihilate her reputation as a
“Twilight” twinkie, working with Assayas for the second time (2014’s “Clouds of
Sils Marie”, also excellent) and ironically, provides ammunition for both
sides of people’s evaluation of her performance. Always able to portray
naturalism (sans vampires), what she lacks in variety she makes up for in depth
and commitment to character. She is the anchor who keeps the movie tethered to
the here and now. “PS”’s odd spots, lulls in action, and occasional dead ends
make for a limiting experience, but it’s romantic strangeness and natural
originality take it quite far enough as to consider throwing away the receipt.
4/5
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