crossing between dualities · reminiscent of the babadook (2014) or the heart-wrenching grief that...

130 Aesthetica film PERSONAL SHOPPER Crossing Between Dualities A film that seemingly can’t be contained, Olivier Assayas’s Personal Shopper flirts with the fundamentals of horror without fully committing, subjecting its protagonist, an exemplary Kristen Stewart, to loss, victimisation and the allure of materialism. In its moments of horror, the feature has loss at its core. Reminiscent of The Babadook (2014) or the heart-wrenching grief that drives Don’t Look Now (1973), the central character, reserved artist Maureen, is dealing with the death of her twin brother, Lewis. A dedicated medium who shared the same heart condition that could potentially kill Maureen, Lewis’s beliefs remain with his sister, who insists that his spirit has stayed behind after his abrupt departure. The tentative moments when Maureen attempts communi- cation with her brother are when the film is at both its most terrifying and heartbreaking. Stewart’s introverted, stern de- meanour wavers as she calls out her brother’s name into an empty room, Assayas lulling us, his viewers, into moments of promise before snatching them brutally away. Fashion forms a major component of the main character. She grabs, strokes and admires garments, knowing all too well that she will never fully enjoy them as they are destined for the possession of a ruthless socialite who pays her to stay in Paris – close to the scene of the trauma. Maureen appears to be forever in the shadow of an existence that she wants but can’t have. When she eventually succumbs to the forbidden call of the clothes, she becomes immersed in their beauty. A Chanel muse and the face of many a high-end campaign off-screen, Stewart’s effortless transition into the outfits she greedily selects for her employer is an intoxicating thing to behold, drawing the story into another realm entirely. To disclose any further plot details would be an injustice to the film. It’s most satisfying going in with little context other than the knowledge that it was booed widely at Cannes – a right of passage reserved for the Pulp Fictions and Irréversibles of years past, and a rocky path that nevertheless led to Assayas receiving Best Director at the festival. Simultaneously, this is a huge accomplishment for Stewart – notably eloquent in Clouds of Sils Maria, her inconsistencies and signature stutter spill into her character’s frustrations. Purposefully shunning her boyfriend, who pleads with her via Skype to join him in his travels, Maureen’s stubborn clench on her past leads her into murkier territory. It’s evident that there are two films here – a terrifying thriller and a glamorous drama drenched in longing. Flitting between the two, the feature just about binds them together. That said, the unexpected twists and turns are what sets the movie apart. To succumb to one of the two halves of the film seems like an easy way out, enforced by the star quality of Stewart. Assayas seems to dig his heels into both, and the result implores you to stick with it until the bitter end. “It’s evident that there are two films here – a terrifying thriller and a glamorous drama drenched in longing. Flitting between the two, the feature just about binds them together.” Words Beth Webb Personal Shopper. Icon Film Distribution. www.iconmovies.co.uk Film still from Personal Shopper.

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Page 1: Crossing Between Dualities · Reminiscent of The Babadook (2014) or the heart-wrenching grief that drives Don’t Look Now (1973), the central character, reserved artist Maureen,

130 Aesthetica

film

PERSONAL SHOPPER

Crossing Between Dualities

A film that seemingly can’t be contained, Olivier Assayas’s Personal Shopper flirts with the fundamentals of horror without fully committing, subjecting its protagonist, an exemplary Kristen Stewart, to loss, victimisation and the allure of materialism. In its moments of horror, the feature has loss at its core. Reminiscent of The Babadook (2014) or the heart-wrenching grief that drives Don’t Look Now (1973), the central character, reserved artist Maureen, is dealing with the death of her twin brother, Lewis. A dedicated medium who shared the same heart condition that could potentially kill Maureen, Lewis’s beliefs remain with his sister, who insists that his spirit has stayed behind after his abrupt departure.

The tentative moments when Maureen attempts communi-cation with her brother are when the film is at both its most terrifying and heartbreaking. Stewart’s introverted, stern de-meanour wavers as she calls out her brother’s name into an empty room, Assayas lulling us, his viewers, into moments of promise before snatching them brutally away.

Fashion forms a major component of the main character. She grabs, strokes and admires garments, knowing all too well that she will never fully enjoy them as they are destined for the possession of a ruthless socialite who pays her to stay in Paris – close to the scene of the trauma. Maureen appears to be forever in the shadow of an existence that she wants but can’t have. When she eventually succumbs to the forbidden

call of the clothes, she becomes immersed in their beauty. A Chanel muse and the face of many a high-end campaign off-screen, Stewart’s effortless transition into the outfits she greedily selects for her employer is an intoxicating thing to behold, drawing the story into another realm entirely.

To disclose any further plot details would be an injustice to the film. It’s most satisfying going in with little context other than the knowledge that it was booed widely at Cannes

– a right of passage reserved for the Pulp Fictions and Irréversibles of years past, and a rocky path that nevertheless led to Assayas receiving Best Director at the festival.

Simultaneously, this is a huge accomplishment for Stewart – notably eloquent in Clouds of Sils Maria, her inconsistencies and signature stutter spill into her character’s frustrations. Purposefully shunning her boyfriend, who pleads with her via Skype to join him in his travels, Maureen’s stubborn clench on her past leads her into murkier territory. It’s evident that there are two films here – a terrifying thriller and a glamorous drama drenched in longing. Flitting between the two, the feature just about binds them together.

That said, the unexpected twists and turns are what sets the movie apart. To succumb to one of the two halves of the film seems like an easy way out, enforced by the star quality of Stewart. Assayas seems to dig his heels into both, and the result implores you to stick with it until the bitter end.

“It’s evident that there are two films here – a terrifying thriller and a glamorous drama drenched in longing. Flitting between the two, the feature just about binds them together.”

WordsBeth Webb

Personal Shopper.Icon Film Distribution.

www.iconmovies.co.uk

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Bachelor Thesis Holographic Dualities and …...University of Cyprus Department of Physics Bachelor Thesis Holographic Dualities and Emergent Gravity Panagiotis Charalambous Supervisor: