Indie Gems: Personal Shopper

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It's trying to make contact.

Maureen (Kristen Stewart) is a personal shopper to a celebrity named Kyra (Nora von Waldstätten) in Paris. She's also a medium, like her twin brother. After he dies of a heart defect they both share, she vows not to leave Paris until she can make contact with him. All of this is complicated when she starts receiving mysterious text messages. 

Personal Shopper is a hard movie to define. It has elements that are very horror-like, but it's not a scary movie. It's very beautiful to look at with the shots of Paris and the high fashion involved. Director Olivier Assayas really has a lovely way of working with Kristen Stewart, this being his second outing with her after her wonderful performance in The Clouds of Sils Maria.

Stewart is great and this part is perfect for her. Maureen is in a bad place but often puts up a huge front and she conveys that with ease. She's in nearly every second of this film with the supporting characters merely revolving around her in a way, but that's okay. 

The ending certainly gives you something to think about. I find this could almost be a companion piece with A Ghost Story. Both are quiet and interesting looks on the afterlife in general. 

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "You have nothing better to do with your time than dress Kyra all day?" - Ingo (Lars Eidinger)

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 17, 2017 at 10:20 AM

    It's definitely a low-key movie with some quiet creepiness around the edges. Good performance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Candice FrederickNovember 17, 2017 at 12:20 PM

    hmmmmm i really hated this movie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alex WithrowNovember 17, 2017 at 2:45 PM

    I agree, this is a damn hard movie to define. I also agree that it would make a great companion piece with A Ghost Story. Both of those films are movies I didn't really like directly after watching them. But neither have left my head since, and that's worth something. Nice review here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 18, 2017 at 1:22 PM

      Thank you! I think ultimate A Ghost Story will stick with me longer, but I haven't really shook either yet.

      Delete
  4. thevoid99November 17, 2017 at 3:24 PM

    This is a film I really want to see mainly because it's Olivier Assayas as I liked what I've seen from him so far.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 18, 2017 at 1:22 PM

      I think you'll like it since you liked Clouds of Sils Maria too.

      Delete
  5. m.brownNovember 19, 2017 at 10:45 PM

    Well, clearly it's no Zombeavers....but I'm in if you say so. Sounds interesting enough, and I really want to see that Ghost Story movie, as I've seen the trailer with 900 of the last movies I've rented.

    ReplyDelete
  6. DellNovember 19, 2017 at 11:24 PM

    Sounds interesting. Honestly, I need to give Stewart a fairer shake. I've just plain avoided most of her work after her dreadful turns in the Twilight flicks. Maybe I'll start here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 20, 2017 at 7:26 PM

      Stewart was awful in those movies but she's been consistently turning in great stuff for a while.

      Delete
  7. DanielNovember 22, 2017 at 8:57 AM

    This was my most pleasant surprise of the year. I was so worried I wouldn't like it after reading some of the reviews out of Cannes, but I completely adored it. Those scenes with the text messages (especially the one in the hotel near the end) are just A+ thriller scenes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 22, 2017 at 3:34 PM

      I wasn't expecting this to be anywhere near a thriller. Those scenes worked so well.

      Delete

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