In prime time on Sky Atlantic, the film in which Maggie Cheung plays herself
Cinema in cinema in cinema, a film that must be multiplied by three and debates on seriality. Irma Vep, anagram of Vampire (Sky Atlantic), protagonist of a series that is shot in Paris: the director on the set, alter ego, Vincent Macaigne (if possible hear him with the original voice), the real one Olivier Assayas who already in 96 had shot, with his wife Maggie Cheung, Hong Kong star (homage to a fashion) in the role of the Vampire chief, a remake of the famous 1915 Louis Feuillade feuilleton with Musidora, Les vampires, 10 episodes, loved by the surrealists and the nouvelle vague , including Assayas.
A sign that the serial is not a novelty, was already in the films of the 10 years (Fantomas and The Adventures of Paolina) and in the novels of Hugo and Balzac. Assayas, an excellent psychology juggler (Sils Maria, The Pairs Game) enjoys retracing his steps for his debate on the concept of the series: It’s just an 8-part film he claims. Around, as in Night Effect, the saraband of the set with dangerous relationships, whims and jealousies, excesses, the stoned actor, the bisexual love of the costume designer, the assistant director, a game of mirrors in which scenes alternate with today’s images of 96 and, changing format, also of the classic silent film that gave rise to the vampire genre with the silhouette of the star in black tights on the night roofs of Paris, like the Aristocats.
It sounds complicated, but in the end the result is nice and cleverfor the skill of the Swedish Alicia Vikander (Danish girl) and for the interlocking game to be read both short-sighted and presbyopic, approaching or distancing the material but keeping the foundations firm, because here the actress fleeing from cine comic and block buster, between assassins, ambushes and treasure maps in a continuous process of reinvention, loan and rental of a dark imaginary that holds up to time.
August 29, 2022 (change August 29, 2022 | 21:23)
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