cityonfire.com | Irma Vep

	Irma Vep "The outfit is so tight and so flattering, it looks like it was poured all over her." - Alvin George Irma Vep (1996) Director: Olivier Assayas Producer: Georges Benayoun Writer: Olivier Assayas Cast: Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Nathalie Richard, Antoine Basler Running Time: 99 min. Plot: An out-of-favor French director hires a Hong Kong actress to star as a slinky cat in his remake of a silent black-and-white vampire serial. Maggie Cheung plays herself in this critically acclaimed film. Reviews ALVIN GEORGE'S REVIEW: I saw this movie at a friend's house yesterday on DVD. I have to admit that "Irma Vep" is quite a weird movie. I'm not used to seeing French films, and this one belongs with the various art-house movies that often pop up on the Bravo cable channel. Fortunately, Maggie Cheung doesn't know any French, so part of the film is in English. I hear that Maggie is supposed to be one of Hong Kong's finest actresses now. However, all American audiences see her as is the pouty, hot-tempered girlfriend in various Jackie Chan movies who slaps Jackie's face and yells, "I hate you!" Since I don't speak French and I rarely see French films, the film's plot was a little hard to follow. I forgot why Maggie befriends this French chick who looks like Rosanna Arquette (the girl who was mistaken for Madonna in "Desperately Seeking Susan.") However, the film has assets that appeal to me. Foremost of them are the various scenes where Maggie wears a shiny black latex cat suit. The outfit is so tight and so flattering, it looks like it was poured all over her. (I think even a character in the movie says something like that.) Hubba hubba! There are other girls in the movie who wear the same kind of outfit. I got a hard-on whenever these scenes came up! They look a lot like scuba-diving wet suits, so much so that I had a feeling that Maggie was gonna strap on some diving gear and jump in the water at any moment. But then again, she smokes cigarettes, something I don't think is sexy. Doesn't Maggie have to go exercise and go jogging in order to keep her feminie figure? If so, she shouldn't smoke coz it interferes with her respiratory system. The latex scenes aside, what is also interesting about the film is the part when the filmakers film a behind-the-scenes documentary. Maggie talks about working with Jackie Chan, about how John Woo seems to prefer men over women, and how few French films get to be seen in Hong Kong. There's even a clip from Ms. Cheung's movie "The Heroic Trio." One scene that really got me pissed off is when some French dude calls Maggie's frequent Hong Kong costar "Jack Chan." It's Jackie Chan, you idiot! In any case, I guess I have to see the movie again to get a more well-rounded impression. For the time being, my review and rating holds. ALVIN GEORGE'S RATING: 7/10

Irma Vep

"The outfit is so tight and so flattering, it looks like it was poured all over her."

- Alvin George

Irma Vep (1996)

Director: Olivier Assayas

Producer: Georges Benayoun

Writer: Olivier Assayas

Cast: Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Nathalie Richard, Antoine Basler

Running Time: 99 min.

Plot: An out-of-favor French director hires a Hong Kong actress to star as a slinky cat in his remake of a silent black-and-white vampire serial. Maggie Cheung plays herself in this critically acclaimed film.

Reviews

ALVIN GEORGE'S REVIEW: I saw this movie at a friend's house yesterday on DVD. I have to admit that "Irma Vep" is quite a weird movie. I'm not used to seeing French films, and this one belongs with the various art-house movies that often pop up on the Bravo cable channel. Fortunately, Maggie Cheung doesn't know any French, so part of the film is in English. I hear that Maggie is supposed to be one of Hong Kong's finest actresses now. However, all American audiences see her as is the pouty, hot-tempered girlfriend in various Jackie Chan movies who slaps Jackie's face and yells, "I hate you!" Since I don't speak French and I rarely see French films, the film's plot was a little hard to follow. I forgot why Maggie befriends this French chick who looks like Rosanna Arquette (the girl who was mistaken for Madonna in "Desperately Seeking Susan.") However, the film has assets that appeal to me. Foremost of them are the various scenes where Maggie wears a shiny black latex cat suit. The outfit is so tight and so flattering, it looks like it was poured all over her. (I think even a character in the movie says something like that.) Hubba hubba! There are other girls in the movie who wear the same kind of outfit. I got a hard-on whenever these scenes came up! They look a lot like scuba-diving wet suits, so much so that I had a feeling that Maggie was gonna strap on some diving gear and jump in the water at any moment. But then again, she smokes cigarettes, something I don't think is sexy. Doesn't Maggie have to go exercise and go jogging in order to keep her feminie figure? If so, she shouldn't smoke coz it interferes with her respiratory system. The latex scenes aside, what is also interesting about the film is the part when the filmakers film a behind-the-scenes documentary. Maggie talks about working with Jackie Chan, about how John Woo seems to prefer men over women, and how few French films get to be seen in Hong Kong. There's even a clip from Ms. Cheung's movie "The Heroic Trio." One scene that really got me pissed off is when some French dude calls Maggie's frequent Hong Kong costar "Jack Chan." It's Jackie Chan, you idiot! In any case, I guess I have to see the movie again to get a more well-rounded impression. For the time being, my review and rating holds.

ALVIN GEORGE'S RATING: 7/10