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Olivier Assayas and Kristen Stewart: Watch a Free Documentary About Their Collaboration on ‘Personal Shopper’

posted 6 years ago by LLOwens (983)
3 replies | jump to latest

Here's the link to a very nice write up from IndieWire's senior film critic David Ehrlich where he discusses a 75-minute documentary on Assayas career as a director: https://www.indiewire.com/2018/09/olivier-assayas-personal-shopper-documentary-aware-anywhere-1202007783/

Near the end of the article is a link to this documentary which will be available to stream free of charge for a limited time. It contains the most extensive behind-the-scenes and B-roll footage I have ever seen of Personal Shopper. Boy do I wish this footage was included in the Criterion Collection Blu-ray of this film, which has an awesome Blu-ray transfer BTW.

Olivier Assayas often publicly praises Kristen for her talent as an actress, so I particularly love the part where he also speaks very highly of Kristen's directing abilities, mentioning how he would set up the shots and direct the cast from the film script while Kristen would be the one who dictated the duration of the shots and manner and direction in which she would move in space @39:25 in this video. A very good example showing how Kristen envisions a particular scene as a director can be found @54:55-57:25 mark. So their collaboration, according to Assayas himself, wasn't merely between that of a director and his lead actor, but rather a joint effort between a director and his lead actor/co-director, Kristen Stewart.

After watching this documentary, I kinda wished Assayas would have included more of the B-reel footage which didn't make the final cut in the film, such as @45:05, which is one of the most adorable on-set shots of Kristen that I can recall offhand. Perhaps Assayas didn't add this clip as it would've detracted from the overall seriousness of the film.

[–] Ron2011 (908) 6 years ago

I haven't watched the entire video yet but I like when we see directors and actors discuss their processes in depth, like they do here. Especially, as you say about the 54 minute mark and for a few minutes along, we see Kristen and Olivier discussing a scene, breaking it down as to what Kristen's character is feeling.

Thanks for this link LL.

[–] LLOwens (983) 6 years ago

I haven't watched the entire video yet but I like when we see directors and actors discuss their processes in depth, like they do here.

Yeah, Ron, this video is 1 hour and 15 minutes in duration--nearly as long as a full-length feature film--not a mere 5 minute YouTube video--so it will take some commitment to watch it. I must admit that I didn't have the time to watch the documentary in its entirety, so what I did was skip over most of the parts where Kristen wasn't shown acting, directing or being discussed by Olivier Assayas.

And yes, this gives us an early glimpse of what Kristen will be like as a future director of a feature film.

[–] LLOwens (983) 6 years ago

Especially, as you say about the 54 minute mark and for a few minutes along, we see Kristen and Olivier discussing a scene, breaking it down as to what Kristen's character is feeling.

Yes Ron, not only does Kristen have screen presence and charisma and the ability to portray multilayered, multidimensional characters, either by being outwardly expressive or inwardly as in subtle and nuanced, she also possesses a mind that can memorize and learn her parts instantaneously--after reading a screenplay just once. She can also improvise with her lines like she's done with Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper, and go even further by identifying what works and doesn't work in a screenplay--something that a director would do. It almost seems to me that she has no limit as to how far she can ratchet up the intensity and doesn't appear to have a breaking point with regard to how far she can push herself--if only she was given a screenplay that would test her limits more fully.

In my opinion, Olivier Assayas has come the closest to testing her limits and acting range, but I still believe someone can bring out the best of her acting abilities to an even greater degree. Yet even if that special someone comes along to cast her in his film, someone who is equally skilled in directing and screenwriting, I hope that person gives Kristen free reign to improvise and act spontaneously like Assayas has respectfully allowed her to do in both Personal Shopper and Clouds of Sils Maria. But then again, that someone could very well be her--starring in a film that she also writes and directs.