Greetings again from the darkness. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” It’s a famous adage that easily could continue with ‘through no fault of their own’ … and as it pertains to writer-director Alice Winocour’s (MUSTANG, 2015) latest film, the adage applies specifically the women. For a film based on Fashion Week in Paris, we get a rare glimpse inside the Chanel showroom. More importantly we get a feel for the stress and pressure being carried by those involved.
Oscar winner Angelina Jolie stars as Maxine Walker, an American director of indie horror films on the verge of her big break. She’s been invited to create a short film that will open the show just prior to the models taking the runway. Chosen to star in the film and be first on the runway is this year’s big new arrival, rookie model/actor Ada (real life model Anyier Anei in her debut film role). The striking Ada is from Sudan by way of Kenya. Another character we are keyed on is French make-up artist Angele (Ella Rumpf, RAW, 2016), who maintains a helpful approach, despite often being taken advantage of.
Ada has skipped Pharmacy School and kept the secret from her father as she pursues this possible career change. Angele is working diligently to be a writer, despite the harsh criticism from a older male editor who tells her, “Just because they (the stories) are real doesn’t make them interesting.” Maxine is dealing long-distance with her teenage daughter while also going through the legalities and emotions of a divorce. All three working women have men making their dreams more challenging to reach. Maxine has it even worse when a doctor hits her with the results of a biopsy. This seems especially pertinent since Ms. Jolie underwent a preventive mastectomy and lost her mother to breast cancer.
Other characters involved here include Ukrainian Christine (Garance Marillier, RAW, 2016), an anxious seamstress working on her first solo dress for the show; Anton (an underutilized Louis Garrel, LITTLE WOMEN, 2019) as Maxine’s oft-frustrated cinematographer; and two French acting legends, Vincent Lindon as Maxine’s Doctor Hansen and Aurore Clement as a woman she meets in the hospital waiting room. There are many other near-connections, and that’s probably the film’s greatest flaw. So many of these characters could provide an interesting story, yet it feels like most get shortchanged. The film’s messages come across quite clearly: Fashion Week is built upon the work of many women, and those women all overcome obstacles to complete their work.
In theaters beginning June 26, 2026
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. If you are one of the many who need someone to cheer for – a nice person – in order for a movie to work for you, then this latest from renowned French director Claire Denis (BEAU TREVAIL, 2019) is going to be a challenge. Ms. Denis co-wrote the script with Christine Angot (they previously collaborated on LET THE SUNSHINE IN, 2017), an adaptation of Ms. Angot’s novel.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 