Prêt-à-Porter (1994)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers (WGA):

Robert Altman (written by) &
Barbara Shulgasser (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

The year's most seductive comedy!

Plot:

A fashion show in Paris draws the usual bunch of people; designers, reporters, models, magazine editors...

Plot Keywords:

Fashion Show | Fashion | Multiple Cameos | Pregnant Woman Nude | Female Frontal Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win

Cast

Marcello Mastroianni	...	Sergei / Sergio
Sophia Loren	...	Isabella de la Fontaine
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Olivier de la Fontaine
Kim Basinger	...	Kitty Potter
Chiara Mastroianni	...	Sophie Choiset
Stephen Rea	...	Milo O'Brannigan
Anouk Aimée	...	Simone Lowenthal (as Anouk Aimee)
Rupert Everett	...	Jack Lowenthal
Rossy de Palma	...	Pilar (as Rossy De Palma)
Tara Leon	...	Kiki Simpson
Georgianna Robertson	...	Dane Simpson
Lili Taylor	...	Fiona Ulrich
Ute Lemper	...	Albertine
Forest Whitaker	...	Cy Bianco
Tom Novembre	...	Reggie

Also Known As:

Prêt-à-Porter: Ready to Wear (Canada: English title)
Ready to Wear
Pret-a-porter (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Den nakna sanningen (Sweden) [sv]
Divatdiktátorok (Hungary) [hu]
Hazir giyim (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Mushehoo Lilboshe (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Prêt-à-Porter (Denmark) [da]
Prêt-à-porter (France) [fr]
Pret-a-porter (Greece) [el]
Pret-a-porter (Slovenia) [sl]
Pret-a-porter (Poland) [pl]
Pret-a-porter (Finland) [fi]
Pronto-a-Vestir (Portugal) [pt]

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Italian | Russian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Germany:6 (bw) | Iceland:L | Israel:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

'Robert de Niro' was originally set to play the part later taken by Forest Whitaker.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the hotel room, Anne Eisenhower lifts a glass of wine from Joe Flynn's dining cart with her left hand and takes a drink. Joe makes a comment and it can be seen that Anne's left arm is up to her face (she is visible from the chest down), but when we cut back to Anne the glass is in her right hand as she puts it down.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Dopest Ethiopean

isn't this all about betrayal?

Although some Altman films are more tightly focused on a unifying narrative thread, for instance Gosford Park or Cookie's Fortune, Pret-a-porter employs the over-lapping ensemble format perhaps best exemplified in Nashville and, to some extent, MASH. I wonder, however, whether some reviewers have not missed the point of this film. Although there is not linear narrative line, the film is unified by a theme -- that of betrayal. Everyone appears to be betraying someone else in this film, whether a spouse, partner, or close relation, and ultimately wrapped in the naked fashion parade -- the industry betraying its consumers. There are weak aspects of the "plot" to be sure, but also some great performances -- Richard E Grant stands out as a camp classic, while Rupert Everett convincingly plays straight. And how Sophia Loren manages to maintain poise, look stunning, and put in a good comedic performance while wearing hugely over-sized hats is beyond me.