Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Kristen Stewart | ... | Maureen | |
Lars Eidinger | ... | Ingo | |
Sigrid Bouaziz | ... | Lara | |
Anders Danielsen Lie | ... | Erwin | |
Ty Olwin | ... | Gary | |
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Hammou Graïa | ... | Detective |
Nora von Waldstätten | ... | Kyra (as Nora Von Waldstätten) | |
Benjamin Biolay | ... | Victor Hugo | |
Audrey Bonnet | ... | Cassandre | |
Pascal Rambert | ... | Jérôme | |
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Aurélia Petit | ... | Chanel PR |
Olivia Ross | ... | London Fashion House PR | |
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Thibault Lacroix | ... | Paris Fashion House PR |
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Calypso Valois | ... | Photoshoot Assitant |
Benoit Peverelli | ... | Photographer |
It's already been three months since the sudden death of her 27-year-old twin brother Lewis from a congenital malformation of the heart, and Maureen, a young fashionista, assistant to a celebrity woman and a capable medium, still hasn't made any contact with him. Spending her time between high profile fashion establishments and the abandoned Lewis' house in Paris, Maureen is silently battling with the gut-wrenching grief and sorrow, while at the same time, looking for a sign from her deceased brother after an oath taken between the twins. Aloof, disoriented and still mourning, wraithlike Maureen attuned to the ethereal realm, is inevitably caught between this world and the spiritual, always looking for portals and a sign that would prove her brother right, however, in vain. Unexpectedly, as the days pass by swiftly and the random apparitions become more frequent, Maureen will start to receive strange text messages from an unknown sender who seems to know a lot about her, but in the ... Written by Nick Riganas
At times I feel giving this film a 7 seems generous, but overall it's probably deserving of that score. The story lulls around a bit longer than it should and I definitely grew disengaged during certain periods of the story. However, I do believe the core concept is fairly strong and Kristen Stewart's performance is as well;having seen Certain Women only the other week, I now find myself wholly impressed with her acting ability.
Basically, Maureen (Kristen Stewart) believes her recently deceased twin brother is trying to communicate with her because they had made a pact that whoever was to die first would send the other a sign to indicate that all is well and they are at peace.
The mystique of the film, as you might imagine, is if Maureen is engaging with a malevolent spirit or a peaceful spirit; her brothers spirit or even a spirit at all. This ambiguity is reflective of Maureen's own disillusionment with an unfulfilling career and life, as well as her mourning.
Personal Shopper sort of falls between genres and because of this it doesn't really satisfy fully as a drama nor a mystery. For me, it plays best as a narrative on grief and a characters search for identity. In this regards, the film offers an original take on those themes.