Personal Shopper (2017)

Running Time: 1hr 45min

Release Date: March 10, 2017

Directed/Written by: Olivier Assayas

Review by: Stacey

I'm not going to lie, I kind of LOVE the Twilight movies.  Hey, at the end of the day I'm still a woman, I like chick stuff.  That said, despite my love for the "young adult" vampire tales, I neeeever could find an ounce of enjoyment for Kristen Stewart (or K Stew if you're E! News).  She always seemed so flat and emotionless, and I know I'm not the only one with that thinking because that kind of became this long-running joke about her.  Which is unfortunate now after having seen Olivier Assayas's  psychological thriller, Personal Shopper.  I don't know if this is the best work she's done (I tended to avoid her projects), but from what I've seen, this is the best work she's done.

Stewart plays Maureen, a personal shopper for the wealthy and celebrities, and a self-professed medium.  While living in Paris she's also grieving and trying to communicate with her recently deceased brother.

I can already tell this movie is going to be incredibly divisive amongst critics and viewers alike.  It's kind of all over the place tonally, slow-paced, and doesn't really have a clear and concise ending.  What it does have, however, is a great story and heartbreaking look at processing grief.  Plus, as I mentioned earlier, Kristen Stewart nails her performance.

I don't want to say nothing happened in the movie, but nothing REALLY happened in the movie.  At least not on screen.  What really sucks you in and keeps you invested in the story are the mysterious and rapid fire texts between Maureen and "Unknown"; it gives you that all-too-relatable anxiety when you see the moving dots while waiting for an incoming text.

What really tied the entire movie together perfectly was Stewart's performance.  Sure there were other side characters throughout, but it felt like the movie was made specifically FOR her.  That "emotionless" vibe people think she has was perfect for this because it worked for that morose feeling she gives off the whole time.  Not to mention her mannerisms were great; from her biting her nails to her shaky thumbs waiting for a text response.  Nothing about her performance felt forced or awkward (which will be a shock for some).

Personal Shopper made you think it was going to take one route and veered onto another more than once throughout, and that's what I think is going to be the hard thing about trying to place this in a specific genre.  I just stuck with psychological thriller because I have no idea.  Yes, it can be considered a thriller, but then you have to consider the supernatural aspect with the CG ghosts, and then then it looks like it's going to turn into a murder mystery, and then a straight up drama, or one of those "is it all in their minds?" type stories.  As I mentioned, it's all over the place tonally, but at the end of the day it's just this well-told story that's kinda sexy, kinda spooky, and really "cool" looking.

The ambiguity of the film might be more than enough to turn most off from enjoying it entirely, but I feel like that's what ultimately made me enjoy it more.  There's a lot to take away from Personal Shopper but really I feel like it's got this poignant and sort of subtle message regarding grief, the afterlife, and being a person having to process that grief.

And if anything, go see it for Kristen Stewart's performance because I can confidently say that her role in this has me newly converted to the ways of "K Stew".

4/5

Check out the trailer below!