Angelina Jolie (Maxine Walker) in 'Coutures,' by Alice Winocour. CAROLE BETHUEL
Le Monde's review – Why not
At a time when cinema intersects with the world of fashion, when stars pose as ambassadors for major brands, and couture houses move into film production (Saint Laurent, Prada), Alice Winocour's latest feature feels perfectly timed. Until now, the director was known for her female-driven dramas set in closed worlds: the Salpêtrière hospital during the era of hysteria in Augustine (2012), a mother astronaut's training center in Proxima (2019), or the community of terror attack survivors in Revoir Paris (2022). With Coutures, she now infiltrates the coveted luxury fashion sector with a significant challenge: to present cinema's perspective on fashion – another universe of surfaces and images, both a rival and a neighbor.
Maxine Walker, an American horror film director, arrives in Paris at the height of fashion week to shoot the opening spot for a runway show. But she immediately learns she needs urgent surgery for breast cancer. The role is played by Angelina Jolie (speaking French throughout), whose own preventive double mastectomy in real life has made her an emblem of resilience. Her video is to star Ada (Anyier Anei), a Sudanese model who has just emigrated and is hurtling into the profession. Circling around them is Angèle (Ella Rumpf), a makeup artist jumping from one shoot to another, struggling to write a screenplay. Finally, there is Christine (Garance Marillier), a seamstress who must finish assembling her dress before the big show.
