Irma Vep
Irma Vep is a 1996 French comedy-drama film written and directed by Olivier Assayas. Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung plays a fictionalised version of herself, as disasters result when an unstable French film director (played by Jean-Pierre Léaud) attempts to remake Louis Feuillade's classic silent film serial Les Vampires (1915–16); Irma Vep is an anagram for the word "vampire". Taking place largely through the eyes of a foreigner (Cheung), it is also a meditation on the state of the French film industry.
Plot
In an attempt to revitalise his career, washed-up film director René Vidal resolves to remake Louis Feuillade's silent film serial Les Vampires. Maggie Cheung has been cast to play the film's heroine, Irma Vep, a burglar and a spy, who dresses in a tight, black, latex rubber catsuit. Irma Vep, it is explained, is an anagram for vampire, but she is not a literal vampire. Rather, she is the inspiration for a criminal gang named The Vampires, as in the original serial.
Cast
- Alex Descas
- Antoine Basler
- Arsinée Khanjian
- Bernard Nissille
- Bulle Ogier
- Dominique Faysse
- Estelle Larrivaz
- Guy-Patrick Sainderichin
- Jacques Fieschi
- Jean-Pierre Léaud
- Lou Castel
- Maggie Cheung
- Maurice Najman
- Nathalie Boutefeu
- Nathalie Richard
- Olivier Torres
- Philippe Landoulsi
- Smaïl Mekki
- Willy Martin
- Yann Richard
More details
| author | Olivier Assayas |
|---|---|
| director | Olivier Assayas |
| editor | Luc Barnier |
| genre | comedy-drama |
| keywords | anagram build cast and crew catsuit costume designer criminal gang daily embarrass end even film director french culture hero hotel room hotel suite latex les vampires louis feuillade morning nervous breakdown possess rave ridley scott silent film strand want |
| musicBy | Philippe Richard |
| producer | Georges Benayoun |
| productionCompany | Dacia Films |
| publisher | Haut Et Court |
| theme | filmmaking independent silent vampire |