I was very much looking forward to the Iris documentary. I have much enjoyed films such as The September Issue, Lagerfeld Confidential, Mademoiselle C and the rest of them. Somehow fashion films often turn into very soulful portraits of the very creative. Iris is probably comparable to the Diana Vreeland docu: The Eye Has to Travel but where Diana has a profound presence sadly Iris Apfel does not. It is very peculiar watching a documentary about a 90-year-old who conveys no depth. Yes, Iris and her husband seem like "very nice people", but for people of a certain to come across merely as flat characters and not fully developed is actually quite a feat. Even the most one-dimensional develop some sort of depth and persona with age - not here. It's ALL about the surface of things. Nothing more. And this is where "Iris" falls flat on its face, it lacks everything so abundant in Iris Apfel's dress sense: layers, the rich tapestry of the human condition and interest. There is nothing to cling onto in "Iris" - no substance behind the quirky glasses, just an empty human shell.
Review of Iris
