When I heard that a series would be made based on the 1996 film "Irma Vep" by his screenwriter and director Olivier Assayas, I was curious because in that film, some things were left unclear. I thought that in this miniserie, Assayas would take the time to develop several things since with 8 chapters, he can delve into situations that make it clearer to the audience the intention of the story and its entanglements.
Want to know what this is all about? I invite you to continue reading my review.
"Irma Vep" is a miniseries filmed in France. It is an original HBO and OCS City production and is developed in 8 chapters, each approximately 1 hour long. For maximum enjoyment and to follow the logic of the narrative, I recommend watching one chapter after another. This production has a cast of renowned French actors with a long trajectory. There are also American, English, and German actors. It is a diverse cast, indispensable to give life to the characters of this miniseries.
What is "Irma Vep" about?
René Vidal (Jean-Pierre Léaud), a French film director, intends to remake a film that he produced years ago but without much success. For this remake, he is looking for an actress who can give life to his muse, "Irma Vep". This character for Vidal is a specter that haunts his miserable and tormented life, so filming each scene for him goes beyond perfection.
On the other hand, Mira Harberg (Alicia Vikander) is a renowned and famous American actress who is looking for a role different from what she has been doing. Her admiration for Vidal, makes she accept the leading role in "Irma Vep" which will take her on a journey through early 20th century French cinema and deal with her conflicts, those of the actors in the cast, and the neurosis of her director.
Why should Mira (Alicia Vikander) focus her performance on early 20th-century cinema? René Vidal's film is a remake of French filmmaker Louis Feuillade's "Les Vampires" (1915). Vidal, faithful to the story, will try to recreate the exploits of a band of thieves whose leader is Irma Vep, something very revolutionary for the time (a woman with a leading role in a group of men). The challenge for this actress will be to play a silent film character and work in a film without a script. A film without a script? Yes, a film without a script.
My opinion and review
The miniseries "Irma Vep" is a fascinating drama that shows in a sharp and without makeup how is life on a film set, the economic interests to keep the budget, the management of fame and stress of the actors, and all the heartaches that are behind the cameras.
The cinematography is enchanting as the city of Paris in the background and the scenery of the interiors magically transport you to those spaces. The costumes are incredible, each actor has the look of the early 20th century, and that gives a lot of strength to believe the story that develops in parallel to the conflicts that exist to carry out the filming of this remake.
If you know Assayas' biography, you will understand why this French filmmaker has a personal fixation with both the original "Les Vampires" and his 1996 film "Irma Vep". He is a director with many influences from the classics of French suspense cinema and "pulp" literature (heroes in dark plots). His fascination with seeing Irma Vep as the anti-heroine of pulp stories led him to mix fiction with her personal life.
For me, this miniseries is a catharsis that Assayas indulges in as it is at times autobiographical in some situations, intermingling at the same time with the characters of the criminal gang "the vampires" and the actors who play them.
Assayas in his 1996 film and this miniseries make very clear the tribute he pays to French cinema as it is something he carries in his genes as he is the son of the renowned French filmmaker Jacques Rémy (Raymond Assayas).
This production has drama and black humor, and despite recreating a work of the early 20th century, it emphasizes the conflicts and nuances of today's society. It has an incredible psychological charge. Each character represents a personality archetype masterfully.
With "Irma Vep", the miniseries, Assayas succeeds in chasing away the ghosts that have haunted him for more than 25 years. It is a very good miniseries that I recommend you to watch for a long weekend.
If you want to know if director René Vidal (Jean-Pierre Léaud) will manage to finish filming "Irma Vep" despite all the conflicts, find out by watching each episode of this great series.
Thanks for reading. See you in next post!
