Film Review – Couture (2025)

      Couture, 2025.

      Written and Directed by Alice Winocour.

      Featuring Angelina Jolie, Anyier Anei, Ella Rumpf, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Grégoire Colin, Aurore Clément, Yuliia Ratner, Mona Tougaard, Hunter David, Joana Preiss, Finnegan Oldfield, Nicolas Avinée, Nina Marker, Rebekka Eriksen, Aida Atarssa, Shuting Yang, Moira Hugues, Douglas Rand, Sean Gullette, and Mika Schneider.

      SYNOPSIS:

      An American filmmaker arrives in Paris for Fashion Week, embarking on a journey that is both critical and transformative, grappling with various challenges and the path to self-realization. Alice Winocour’s Couture is notable for being the first film set in the fashion industry to be filmed on-location at Chanel’s showroom and atelier. However, it suffers from a narrative that stretches itself too thin across numerous characters, some of whom are only revealed to be significant after the fact.

      Angelina Jolie's character, Maxine Walker, a fictional indie horror filmmaker from the U.S., has the most prominent role as she oversees the production of a vampire-themed short film during Fashion Week. Separated from her husband, she struggles to comprehend the emotional impact of the split on her teenage daughter. This personal conflict soon takes a backseat to a breast cancer diagnosis that threatens to derail her career just as she secures funding for another horror project.

      The film also features Ada (Anyier Anei), a Sudanese model who fled war with her family and grew up in Kenya. At 18, she is uncertain about her place in the modeling world and has misled her father into believing she is in Paris for pharmacy opportunities. The film explores themes of endings and beginnings in different careers, rather than focusing solely on the fashion and film industries.

      While Ada does not initially fit in with her predominantly white European modeling peers, she gradually finds the confidence to shape her own future. With a brother who misses her greatly, Ada faces the dilemma of choosing between family and her career, paralleling Maxine's choices later in the story, as Maxine must weigh chemotherapy against continuing her film production and gambling on her survival.

      Despite strong performances from Jolie and newcomer Anyier Anei, who effectively conveys emotions through body language, there is a lack of depth in understanding the motivations and backgrounds of the characters. The film does not fully explore what filmmaking means to Maxine nor her connection to the horror genre, making it difficult for the audience to root for her project beyond her being the lead character.

      Similarly, there is little insight into Ada’s past and her family's struggles. The presence of her brother through sporadic phone calls fails to develop these familial relationships enough for viewers to invest emotionally.

      Part of the issue arises from the inclusion of other characters in the fashion world who receive attention but not enough depth to leave a significant impact. Winocour tries to present various women across different artistic fields, yet the film often feels aimless, with little focus beyond the notion that lives are always changing, particularly for those of different ages.

      Nonetheless, the strong performances and the glimpse into the fashion industry keep the film engaging. Angelina Jolie's portrayal of an artist’s life turned upside down by a breast cancer diagnosis emphasizes her physicality and the fear of change, highlighting her desire to cherish her remaining time in her current body.

      There’s a strong argument that a more focused and nuanced film centered on Jolie's character alone could have been more effective, although this could apply to any of the featured women. Ultimately, Couture feels overstuffed and superficial, with its themes lacking depth across the various professions it explores.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder