Couture

Angelina Jolie has been noticeably absent from our screens over the past few years, primarily devoting her efforts to activist work. But she makes a poignant return to the big screen with Alice Winocour’s stylish sartorial drama, Couture.

Set during Paris Fashion Week, the film explores the lives of the women beyond the manicured façade of the runway. Jolie plays horror director Maxine Walker, who has been commissioned to direct a runway film in her signature gothic style. She works alongside Ada (Anyier Anei), an 18-year-old South Sundanese model who is fronting her first major fashion show, makeup artist and aspiring writer Angèle (Ella Rumpf), and seamstress Christine (Garance Marillier).

This is an exploration of hyperfemininity in all its forms. Maxine has a breast cancer scare, leading to both renewed appreciation of her body and grief at having to let part of her intrinsic femininity go. The scenes in which she is confronted with the reality of the diagnosis are harrowing, with Jolie channelling her own struggle with the disease, which famously led to a double mastectomy in 2013. Particularly moving is her sexual encounter with colleague Anton (Louis Garrel), a rare example of a sex scene that serves the narrative and a necessary emotional purpose.

Newcomer Anei, herself a catwalk model, gives a standout, understated performance as a young woman who feels like an outsider in an industry that has only just recently embraced models with deeper skin tones. Ada forms a sisterly bond with Angèle, contrasting with her initial interactions with fellow models, who view her with cattiness rather than camaraderie.

All of this is captured through dazzling visuals. Christine cuts through delicate lace fabric and meticulously applies beads to a gown with a needle, symbolising the imminent reconstruction of Maxine’s body. Amid shots of sinewy white gowns illuminating moody backdrops, a scene of a storm is particularly dramatic, capturing the destructive nature of upholding idealised aesthetic standards.

It’s undoubtedly a slow-burner, and those looking for tidy resolutions may be disappointed. But this is, both aesthetically and structurally, an art film, with the emphasis on natural characterisation animated by its excellent cast.

An elegant drama with a suitably brooding lead performance from Jolie, Couture marks a return to form for the actor. With heartfelt meditations on womanhood, it’s a must-watch for those seeking both style and substance.