SPOILER-FREE PLOT SUMMARY
Director of a low budget vampire film, Maxine Walker (played by Angelina Jolie), is surprised when a fashion designer hires her to be the guest artist during Fashion Week in Paris. She normally wouldn’t accept the gig but desperately needs the money as she’s going through a divorce back home. Just after immersing herself with the whole operation, she receives a call from her doctor with concerning news from her recent visit. He won’t discuss the situation over the phone due to its sensitive nature and suggests she sees a colleague of his in Paris. Using the excuse of her work, Maxine resists and eventually sees the audition tape of a fresh faced 18-year old Nairobian woman named Ada (Anyier Anei, in her feature film debut) who she ultimatley hires to star in her opening film for the event. Ada, having never really traveled before — and keeping this whole “modeling thing” a secret from her father back home — is desperately seeking a sense of community and belonging. Meanwhile, during the shoot, Maxine is told that if she can’t see the French doctor at 5pm that day she’ll have to wait six months. She reluctantly agrees and leaves the set, much to the disappointment of her employers and crew. Dr. Hansen (Vincent Lindon) informs her that she has breast cancer and further tests are needed to determine the best course of action. Maxine must now finish the film she was brought to Paris to do, deal with her divorce from across the Atlantic Ocean, try to connect with her aloof teenage daughter and keep her future film commitments all while seeking treatment for her unexpected, life-changing diagnosis.
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
With one of the best performances of her career, Jolie brings the viewer on an emotional ride with depth at every turn. The audience effortlessly believes she’s going through the heartbreak of not only a divorce but also with the news of the diagnosis.
Additionally, Anei is solid in her feature film debut, Ella Rumpf is great and Garance Marillier is lovely but the film kinda feels like it doesn’t need their characters. The cancer diagnosis Jolie’s character goes through is the focal point of the film and the other character arc’s simply pale in comparison. That’s not to say they don’t have something to say but they’re so severely overshadowed by the lead and her multi-faceted story that they become obstacles in the way of what you’re there to experience.
There are some pacing issues due to the character storyline pieces sometimes being forced into the overall puzzle but, overall, COUTURE is a solid drama that fans of the genre will be impacted by.
COUTURE is a must-see for anybody going through cancer, be it themselves or a loved one. The brilliance of the script is it’s illumination of how we, as humans, deal with life-changing news. The need to be desired, the need to feel normal and, of course, the need to lean on others while maybe not being ready to admit it to yourself. The movie (and Jolie) delivers on all of that and cancer survivors/patients will feel seen and empowered, marking that the true achievement of COUTURE.
JKG SCORE: 6.5 out of 10
Untitled Film Project 