Review: Personal Shopper

This shopper is on the search for more than just clothes.
Personal Shopper is a psychological film starring Kristen Stewart as American Mareen living in Paris, France and working as a, you guessed it, personal shopper for a jet-setting celebrity. When she’s not travelling the streets to head into very expensive stores to retrieve very expensive clothing, she’s spending her time as a medium trying to contact her deceased twin brother. When she begins receiving strange text messages from an unknown number, she wonders if this may finally be her brother reaching out.

Directed by French Olivier Assayas, this film was hard to put into any specific genre. Although it starts off somewhat as a ghost story, I wouldn’t really classify it as scary at all. Instead it was more of a “finding yourself” kind of story as Mareen not only works on truly accepting her brother’s death, but also begins to enjoy some freedom and defiance against her conceited boss. Overall, I found the movie to feel a little all over the place. There were times where it felt like a haunting thriller, then a tedious adventure through designer stores, before becoming a crime mystery, and then a psychodrama about finding your inner peace. Although that kind of contemplative film may work for some people, I found it to be a little daunting, and on some occasions a little boring.

At times, I did feel like this was the perfect movie for Kristen Stewart. The short hair, the weary attitude, the “my heart hurts but I won’t let it show face.” I sat through the movie thinking, yeah Kristen is definitely Mareen. But then there were parts where she was supposed to be afraid, or sad, or curious, and on Kristen Stewart, all those faces pretty much looked the same. And because I couldn’t feel those emotions from her, it left me feeling a bit unsettled.

Overall, if you enjoy watching a movie that makes you have to think a little harder, this film could be for you. I did enjoy the fashion aspects of the film and the score, but besides that, the film could have cleaned up its storyline a bit more.

2 out of 5

What would I have changed? (Spoilers)
Click here to read what I would Change
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Ariel Ariel (Contributor) is a Military brat currently living in Texas. When she's not watching the current box office hit, she spends her days reading, cooking, and finding new activities to try.

Comments

Julie Johnson said…
I might watch it for the fashion & Kristen Stewart...
Saunceray Lindae said…
Don't. It's not even worth it that movie is terrible I saw it and everyone left with a wtf was that piece of crap attitude save your money. I expected more because of her and nope it was trash. The fashion doesn't even hold it up
grssd said…
Enjoyed this film for many of the same elements that the reviewer did not. It took it's time going where it was going and didn't serve everything up on a platter. The audience had to reach out for some of it. I didn't think the storyline needed to be cleaned up, as it kept you guessing as to what was really happening. The ending was a bit inconclusive and untidy, but then so is life generally. Overall, a nice little film.
Connie Ballarta Silva said…
I want to see this movie!
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