Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Irma Vep Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 16, 2021

Olivier Assayas' "Irma Vep" (1996) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with the director; an episode from Louis Feuillade's film; archival interviews; documentary film; rushes; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Aliza Ma as well as technical credits. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Two kinds of people like Olivier Assayas’ Irma Vep. I am going to describe them to you, but I will tell you why I am doing it at the bottom of this article.

So, there are plenty of people who claim that the minor intrigues in Irma Vep produce the type of quality entertainment you would get from most of Arnaud Desplechin’s films. What type of entertainment would this be exactly? Well, Desplechin is arguably the greatest successor of Jacques Rivette, so most everything he does fits into the comedie dramatique genre, which is the French variation of our soapy melodrama. However, the French tend to play with a wider range of ‘serious’ themes in their comedie dramatique films and this is usually the reason why our mainstream critics see them differently and find them more appealing. So, you will be entertained with plenty of intellectual chatter sprinkled with different flavors of humor which will occasionally be disrupted by the ‘serious’ themes that will introduce the necessary drama. According to some fans of Irma Vep, Assayas infused his film with this classic blend of comedie dramatique which makes it entertaining.

Now, there are also plenty of people who find Irma Vep attractive for a very different and actually very simple reason. The reason is Maggie Cheung wearing a tight latex suit that looks almost as sexy as the one Michelle Pfeiffer put on in Batman Returns. You would never hear these people discuss the intellectual chatter in Irma Vep because to them it is nothing but a smoke screen, which is why they see right through it. The few scenes where Cheung steps in front of the camera and temporarily becomes that famous character from Les Vampires validates the existence of Irma Vep. As far as the people that I am describing to you are concerned, it is utterly irrelevant whether the film is good or bad. They are just content that it exists in its current form.

Of course, there are just as many people that dislike Irma Vep, and it is actually very easy to understand why. Here are a couple of reasons:

First, the film not only does not tell a conventional story, it refuses to have a conventional structure as well. Why? Because it is the only way it can validate its intellectual chatter. Cheung is brought to Paris where she is expected to shoot a weird remake of Louis Feuillade’s film with an aging director (Jean-Pierre Leaud) that might be in the process of losing his mind. There is chaos everywhere around her, but she is repeatedly told that this is how films are made in France, so she has to get used to it. She is willing to do it, but because she does not speak French and because most of the people around her speak very basic broken English, the entire gig becomes a serious challenge. Then in the middle of the shoot the director has a serious nervous breakdown and another old-timer (Lou Castle) is offered the job of finishing his film. However, this guy isn’t convinced that Cheung is the right actress for her part and secretly approaches another actress who has been waiting for her break. So, Irma Vep is a chaotic film about the making of a chaotic film, and this is basically it. Second, while the chaos lasts, a few of the main characters begin explaining to Cheung’s character -- and by default the audience -- how French cinema is superior to American cinema but finding it difficult to prosper because of its elitist roots. There is also some casual but absolutely meaningless flirting mixed with more generic intellectual chatter that essentially transforms Irma Vep in precisely the type of elitist film its characters love to dismiss. So, in addition to the production chaos, there is a whole lot of meaningless intellectual chatter as well. This is why if Cheung in a tight latex suit isn’t enough to make the film work the rest won’t either.

Here’s the promised revelation about the two groups of people that like Irma Vep: they don’t see the film differently. They are both attracted to it because of the footage with Cheung doing her part in the weird remake. But only the people from the second group have the courage to admit it.

Irma Vep Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and grated a 1080p transfer, Irma Vep arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new 2K digital transfer restoration was undertaken from the 16mm and 35mm original camera negatives at Eclair in Vanves, France, with the support of the CNC and approved by Olivier Assayas. The 5.1 surround soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm magnetic tracks and restored by L.E. Diapason in Paris."

The release is sourced from a 2K restoration which was supervised and approved by Olivier Assayas. I think that it looks very good. The only other release of this film that I have in my library is this R2 DVD and I think that the Blu-ray offers solid upgrades in all key areas that we address in our reviews. The darker footage in particular looks vastly superior, though rather ironically this is the only place where I think that the Blu-ray should look even better because from time to time the grain simply becomes a tad too 'loose'. Clarity, depth, and especially fluidity are much stronger, so if you are moving from DVD to Blu-ray, you will see a huge upgrade in quality. The color scheme is convincing. What you will see on the Blu-ray is essentially stronger, better saturated and better balanced primaries and nuances, with both retaining the basic color values that are present on the DVD. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region Free player in order to access its content).

Irma Vep Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with bits of English dialog). Optional English and English SDH subtles are provided for the main feature.

The dialog is very clear and stable. However, there are some pretty thick accents -- Jean-Pierre Léaud's being the most problematic one -- so you will probably have to use the English SDH subtitles if you wish to get everything that is being said in English. Dynamic balance and intensity are good. As usual, Olivier Assayas uses plenty of interesting tracks and original music, so there are are decent dynamic contrasts as well. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Irma Vep Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Olivier Assayas - in this new video interview, Olivier Assayas discusses the conception of Irma Vep, the experimentation work that gives the film its identity, its tone, as well as the evolution of his style and work. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2021. In English, not subtitled. (29 min, 1080p).

• Olivier Assayas and Charles Tesson - in this archival video interview, Olivier Assayas and critic Charles Tesson discuss their admiration of Asian cinema and the decision to bring Maggie Cheung on board for Irma Vep. The two also discuss their trip to Hong Kong in 1984. The interview was conducted in 2004. In French, with optional English subtitles. (34 min, 1080i).

• Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard - in this archival video interview, Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard recall how they were offered the parts they play in Irma Vep and what it was like to work with Olivier Assayas. In English and French, with imposed French and English subtitles where necessary. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080i).

• On the Set of Irma Vep - presented here raw footage from the shooting of Irma Vep. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (30 min, 1080i).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Les Vampires: Hypnotic Eyes - presented here is Hypnotic Eyes, an episode from Louis Feuillade's Les Vampires, with the character of Irma Vep, which Maggie Cheung plays in the remake that is being shot in Olivier Assayas' film. With music, French intertitles and optional English subtitles. (59 min, 1080p).

• Misidora, The Tenth Muse - this documentary film examines the life and legacy of Misidora, an actor and pioneering filmmaker, who originated the role of Irma Vep in Les Vampires. The documentary was produced by Patrick Cazals in 2013. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (68 min, 1080p).

• State of Cinema - presented here is a filmed address on the state of cinema by Olivier Assayas (2020). In French, with optional English subtitles. (47 min, 1080p).

• Man Yuk: A Portrait of Maggie Cheung - this short film was directed by Olivier Assayas in 1997. It was commissioned for the Foundation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris. Without sound. (5 min, 1080i).

• Black-and-White Rushes - a collection of black-and-white rushes that were done during the shooting of Irma Vep. Without sounds. (4 min, 1080i).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Aliza Ma as well as technical credits.

Irma Vep Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The original poster for Irma Vep sells a very cool mysterious film that I don't think exists. The film that Olivier Assayas shot is a chaotic improvised piece whose main attraction is Maggie Cheung doing an impersonation of the classic character from Louis Feuillade's film. Some people like Irma Vep as it is, but I have to warn that they are probably not a majority. Criterion's upcoming release is sourced from a solid new 2K restoration that was supervised and approved by Assayas. RECOMMENDED to the fans, but not to first-time viewers.