Amazon.com video review:
In the tradition of films about filmmaking, Irma Vep takes its
own
special place among such films as Fellini's 8½. A has-been director
decides to remake the silent French serial film Les Vampires
starring a Hong Kong action film superstar. The production is falling
behind schedule and its star, Maggie Cheung (who plays herself), finds
herself an outsider with the film's crew save for a woman costumer
(Nathalie Richard) who has a crush on her. Rene the director (Jean-Pierre
Leaud) cast Maggie after viewing one of her many martial-arts fantasy
films. Although he finds her perfect for the part of the jewel thief in
Les Vampires, the rest of the crew cannot see the reasons for
casting Maggie beyond her beauty and how she looks in her tight-fitting
latex costume. Rene's vision is soon lost on everyone and he suffers a
mental breakdown. The film is reassigned to Jose (Lou Castel), a seemingly
more commanding director (although he takes the job because his welfare is
about to run out), whose first decision is to fire Maggie. Irma Vep
is presented as a comedy, but at its heart lies an examination of the art
and craft of filmmaking. In a clever turn, Maggie creeps around her hotel
getting into character, in essence remaking Irma Vep for real-life
director Olivier Assayas. Assayas wrote the film in 10 days and shot the
film in a month after meeting Maggie Cheung at a film festival--a
fascinating case of life imitating art... or is it the other way
around? --Shannon Gee
