We do see satires on the making of films from time to time but we really don't see many of them come from France and say what you will about the current state of movie making this film makes some extremely poignant references to the differences between film-making in America and Europe. Story is about an aging film director named Rene Vidal (Jean-Pierre Leaud) who has seen better days in terms of his career but he's just started the improbable task of remaking the 1915 Louis Feuillade classic "Les Vampires" starring Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung (playing herself) and things (naturally) just don't seem to be working.
*****SPOILER ALERT***** Cheung doesn't necessarily know what Vidal expects of her in terms of a performance but they do fit her in a black latex costume which she enjoys. Since she doesn't know how to speak French and has no one to really talk to Cheung gets to know the wardrobe lady Zoe (Nathalie Richard) but things get a bit uncomfortable when Zoe (who's a lesbian) becomes attracted to her. One night Cheung puts her sleek black costume on and in an attempt to get into character prowls around the hotel she's staying at and even sneaks into the room of a naked woman and steals some of her jewelry. Meanwhile, Vidal has resigned from being director and another veteran filmmaker comes in to try and salvage the movie but he doesn't like the choices in casting and wants Cheung out of the film.
This is directed by Olivier Assayas who is extremely talented and has alway's shown a keen eye for sharp dialog and here he succeeds in satirizing the movie making process with a French flair. Some of the best moments in the film come when characters talk about the differences between countries in the way of what audiences are entertained by in film. The highlight of the film (for me and I think for most viewers) comes when Cheung wears that Michelle Pfeiffer catwoman-like latex outfit and the scene wear she stalks around the hotel hallway and sneaks into a room to steal jewelry is captivating but it should be because Cheung is captivating herself. My only complaint about the film comes with the way that Cheung all but disappears at the end without as much as a reference to her fate. I guess she was just replaced in the lead role and headed back to Hong Kong but it would have been nice to see how she would have handled the whole situation. Instead, the last scene of her is being driven away in a cab after chickening out on going to a club with her lesbian admirer Zoe. In case you like trivia than you might like to know that Cheung and Assayas ended up getting married but were divorced in 2001 but have continued to work together.
*****SPOILER ALERT***** Cheung doesn't necessarily know what Vidal expects of her in terms of a performance but they do fit her in a black latex costume which she enjoys. Since she doesn't know how to speak French and has no one to really talk to Cheung gets to know the wardrobe lady Zoe (Nathalie Richard) but things get a bit uncomfortable when Zoe (who's a lesbian) becomes attracted to her. One night Cheung puts her sleek black costume on and in an attempt to get into character prowls around the hotel she's staying at and even sneaks into the room of a naked woman and steals some of her jewelry. Meanwhile, Vidal has resigned from being director and another veteran filmmaker comes in to try and salvage the movie but he doesn't like the choices in casting and wants Cheung out of the film.
This is directed by Olivier Assayas who is extremely talented and has alway's shown a keen eye for sharp dialog and here he succeeds in satirizing the movie making process with a French flair. Some of the best moments in the film come when characters talk about the differences between countries in the way of what audiences are entertained by in film. The highlight of the film (for me and I think for most viewers) comes when Cheung wears that Michelle Pfeiffer catwoman-like latex outfit and the scene wear she stalks around the hotel hallway and sneaks into a room to steal jewelry is captivating but it should be because Cheung is captivating herself. My only complaint about the film comes with the way that Cheung all but disappears at the end without as much as a reference to her fate. I guess she was just replaced in the lead role and headed back to Hong Kong but it would have been nice to see how she would have handled the whole situation. Instead, the last scene of her is being driven away in a cab after chickening out on going to a club with her lesbian admirer Zoe. In case you like trivia than you might like to know that Cheung and Assayas ended up getting married but were divorced in 2001 but have continued to work together.