Allure

It amazes me how some extraordinary films receive so little visibility. Allure is one of those films. I don't understand how in the time of metoo and so much lip service to films about women, social justice et al. this film didn't get more recognition. Is it because it was made before metoo? Or it falls outside of the usual cliches? Or is it too political because of its OWS backdrop, a movement which has been studiously avoided by the mainstream, never to be mentioned ever since it happened? After seeing the film, when I read some of the reviews I had to laugh out loud. The reviews are not bad, but some of the reviewers obviously didn't understand the film and most didn't even attempt to dissect its layers of meaning. In any case. The film is streaming on several platforms, and I would strongly recommend it if you're into cinema as art, made for thinking adults.

A stylized documentary approach of several women's stories in NYC from different parts of the world dealing with complex live situation, it reflects on the political context of these stories, such as class: the lowly immigrant working several jobs vs. the upper-class French journalist, and race. I won't give it away but the story of the African girl, played through a fantastic monologue by Isaach de Bankole's daughter is mesmerizing. Then observe who will comfort whom in the end, and who will benefit from that story. The arc of the main character is maybe the most predictable but it's understandable why it is there. The juxtaposition of the opening shot of her getting ready to play the role she is paid for with the sound of the demonstrations as backdrop frames the discontent many still feel today.

Allure mixes fiction and documentary, actors and non-actors, following the life stories of five women in the late summer of 2011 during the Occupy movement in New York. The film traces many themes through the women's stories, including personal struggle, representation and politics but it mostly flows like a series of vignettes shot in beautiful black-and-white, making New York a subjective experience through the eyes of its characters.

The individual stories are episodic. Each one shows a dramatic moment in each of the women's lives that they have to overcome. In-between the film cuts to actual footage from the Occupy protests, and in the end the actors are part of the demonstrations, blurring the lines between real and fictional even further.

Situationism – a movement about cultural commodification from the 60s – provides an underlying layer of the film and its reinterpretation of 60s cinema techniques and themes in our time. The acting is excellent and so natural it makes the film often seem like a real documentary. Allure allows the viewer to layer all these stories, sounds and images together him/herself and experience something truly refreshing in our time of celebrity-driven worn-out movie formulas.

As with most indies these days, you had to catch this film during a very short theatrical run, but hopefully it will be available on streaming. It's a beautiful and moody film, following five women in New York in 2011 during the Occupy movement. The film contrasts the personal struggles of the women with bigger political themes and ideas. It's reminiscent of films like Jean Rouch's Chronicle of a Summer, if you're old enough to know that or a cinephile. It's interesting that the film is a deliberate homage to 60s cinema, yet it feels so fresh among today's movies, which are all the same. Strongly recommended if you look for something meaningful.