One of my favorite graphic novel writers, Alan Moore, once said that: "Life isn't divided into genres. It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel.” It’s one of the fundamental divides between fiction and reality; in fact, the concept of genre is so fundamental to fiction that most works cannot function without it. Each genre comes with an associated collection of tropes which we as viewers come to recognize, and then use to organize our viewing of fiction. When we watch a science fiction movie, we generally know what to expect from it, and if the movie suddenly started throwing tropes from romantic comedies at us we would likely react negatively. But once in a while a film is able to deftly defy genre conventions, and Personal Shopper is one of them.
Maureen (Kristen Stewart) is an American living in Paris. By day, she works as a personal shopper for a famous French model named Kyra (Nora von Waldstätten), buying her new dresses and jewelry to wear at fashion shows. But by night, she works as a medium, trying to contact the spirits of the dead. In particular, she is attempting to contact the spirit of her recently-deceased twin brother, Lewis. She and Lewis, also a medium, had promised each other that whomever died first would send a sign from the other side. But after three months of fruitless waiting, she is just about to give up.
Directed by Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria), Personal Shopper is an odd mixture of different genres. On the one hand, it has its supernatural elements, but it never quite lapses into horror territory. Rather, it’s reminiscent of how Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak described itself not as a “ghost story” but as a “story with ghosts in it”. The film never really uses its ghosts to scare the viewer, though they are used to build tension to impressive effect. Yet the movie also use more grounded ways to create suspense, and sometimes even mixes the supernatural with the ordinary in an unusual manner; one example is when Maureen has a bizarre conversation via text message with either a stalker or a ghost. The film leaves the nature of this and many other details ambiguous.
And finally, it’s also a personal drama and character study, and in this respect Kristen Stewart shines. Although it’s easy to forget because of her role in the Twilight franchise, Stewart is a highly skilled actress when paired with an accomplished director, and between this and Clouds of Sils Maria she seems to have made a connection with Assayas. What this character study is actually trying to say, however, I’m not sure about; it’s definitely something regarding grief and loss, but the precise meaning was lost on me. This is a movie I feel that you need to watch twice before all the subtleties become apparent.
A fascinating mixture of supernatural aspects, character drama, and thriller elements and a tour de force for Kristen Stewart, Personal Shopper is an unusual yet intriguing story “with ghosts in it”. If you’re looking for something a little outside the ordinary, I’d say Olivier Assayas’ genre-busting film is a good pick.
Grade: A-
Maureen (Kristen Stewart) is an American living in Paris. By day, she works as a personal shopper for a famous French model named Kyra (Nora von Waldstätten), buying her new dresses and jewelry to wear at fashion shows. But by night, she works as a medium, trying to contact the spirits of the dead. In particular, she is attempting to contact the spirit of her recently-deceased twin brother, Lewis. She and Lewis, also a medium, had promised each other that whomever died first would send a sign from the other side. But after three months of fruitless waiting, she is just about to give up.
Directed by Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria), Personal Shopper is an odd mixture of different genres. On the one hand, it has its supernatural elements, but it never quite lapses into horror territory. Rather, it’s reminiscent of how Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak described itself not as a “ghost story” but as a “story with ghosts in it”. The film never really uses its ghosts to scare the viewer, though they are used to build tension to impressive effect. Yet the movie also use more grounded ways to create suspense, and sometimes even mixes the supernatural with the ordinary in an unusual manner; one example is when Maureen has a bizarre conversation via text message with either a stalker or a ghost. The film leaves the nature of this and many other details ambiguous.
And finally, it’s also a personal drama and character study, and in this respect Kristen Stewart shines. Although it’s easy to forget because of her role in the Twilight franchise, Stewart is a highly skilled actress when paired with an accomplished director, and between this and Clouds of Sils Maria she seems to have made a connection with Assayas. What this character study is actually trying to say, however, I’m not sure about; it’s definitely something regarding grief and loss, but the precise meaning was lost on me. This is a movie I feel that you need to watch twice before all the subtleties become apparent.
A fascinating mixture of supernatural aspects, character drama, and thriller elements and a tour de force for Kristen Stewart, Personal Shopper is an unusual yet intriguing story “with ghosts in it”. If you’re looking for something a little outside the ordinary, I’d say Olivier Assayas’ genre-busting film is a good pick.
Grade: A-
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