Rent Irma Vep (1996)
3.3 of 5 from 120 ratings
1h 35min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Maggie Cheung (playing herself) has been cast by a once revered but now out of touch director as the latex-clad cat-burglar in his ill-fated remake of the French classic 'Les Vampires'. From the moment she arrives in Paris chaos ensues until the director finally has a breakdown and is replaced by another who doesn't know why she was cast in the first place. Amidst all the confusion Cheung becomes drawn to her character and is soon pulling on latex and prowling her hotel corridors at night.
- Actors:
- Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Nathalie Richard, Antoine Basler, Nathalie Boutefeu, Alex Descas, Dominique Faysse, Arsinée Khanjian, Bernard Nissile, Olivier Torres, Bulle Ogier, Lou Castel, Jacques Fieschi, Estelle Larrivaz, Balthazar Clémenti, Lara Cowez, Dominique Cuny, Jessica Doyle, Sandra Faure, Catherine Ferny
- Directors:
- Olivier Assayas
- Producers:
- Georges Benayoun
- Writers:
- Olivier Assayas
- Aka:
- Vampire
- Studio:
- Second Sight Films Ltd.
- Genres:
- Comedy
- Collections:
- A History of Films about Film: Part 2, A Brief History of the Tradition of Quality, Action & Adventure, A Brief History of Film..., Top Film and TV Detectives: Guide to Screen Sleuth
- Countries:
- France
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/05/2018
- Run Time:
- 99 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.66:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Audio commentary by writer-director Olivier Assayas and critic Jean-Michel Frodon
- On the Set of Irma Vep, a 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with optional commentary by Assayas and Frodon
- Interview with Assayas and critic Charles Tesson
- Interview with actors Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard
- Man Yuk:A PortraitofMaggie Cheung, a 1997 shortfilm by Assayas- Black and white rushes
- Theatrical Trailer
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Reviews (3) of Irma Vep
Unfocussed Look at French Film-Making - Irma Vep review by CP Customer
Irma Vep (an anagram of vampire) is a fairly enjoyable, if slightly plotless, film about the making of the titular movie. Playing like a home movie, it shows a slightly bewildered Maggie Cheung trying to cope with a director who's having a nervous breakdown as well as lesbian love interest.
The film seems to suggest French film-making has reached the end of its tether. The director has run out of ideas and seems to be re-making an old movie mainly for the pleasure of seeing Maggie in a tight-fitting latex outfit. Unfortunately, Irma Vep itself, seems a bit too pre-occupied with the latex-clad Maggie Cheung, although anyone who shares this fetish should be well-pleased.
2 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
A little too French - Irma Vep review by CP Customer
As reviewed by Twinkles McShifty, the films depicts very French takes on a classic. It's not a bad movie, that choses to depict very 'realistic' or 'truthful' moments of French lifestyle, 20 years ago. Ever lasting suppers, conversations, arguing the genius of the new or the old. It seems that Maggie Cheung intended to introduce Hong Kong people to a certain side of French life, while Olivier Assayas enjoyed the occasion to catwalk his latex-clad wife around Paris for the duration of his movie.
Not a bad movie, but not truly enjoyable either. I was hoping for more on the basis of other reviews (tomato meter et al.), hence a little disappointment. 2.5 stars would have suited me.
1 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
An acquired taste - Irma Vep review by NP
I found this to be a pleasingly indefinable film, but the thin story turned out to be insubstantial. It’s directed rather like a fly-on-the-wall documentary on actress Maggie Cheung (playing a fictional version of herself). Cheung is playing Irma Vep (an anagram of Vampire), and the story contents itself with allowing us to see her experiences behind-the-scenes in an ego-driven industry with a washed-up director (Jean-Pierre Léaud).
The acting is impeccable, and Cheung emerges as one of the few genuine and likeable characters. The story is entertaining once you get onto its wavelength, which I’m not sure I ever did entirely. An acquired taste for sure. My score is 5 out of 10.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.