Dégrafées, déboutonnées, dézippées

OK, I have seen Unzipped 4 times. I asked myself why, and I came up with a really great lie. Because watching Mizrahi stress out about his "beast/nanook of the North" creations makes me feel better about myself as a sane person. I use to think that the fashion industry was something special, once you have used this film to figure things out, you notice how SAD SAD SAD these people are. Designers make these costumes, famous and sickly models make them look interesting and then Anna Wintour makes you want to spend your next 5 paychecks for a stupid coat. A coat that makes you feel good for a few months, by the way thanks Donatella for that black half-trench number you came out with last year, I still feel good about myself every time I think I'm thin enough to put it on. Anyhoo, Isaac is a sad selfish mess and at the same time a very smart man with amazing taste. THe models, whom I LOVE LOVE LOVE to watch, are all tragic and annoying, save for Tara Banks and Cindy Crawford who seem to be the only models with a brain in their heads. I wanted to reach through the screen and punch Linda Evangelista for having such an annoying voice. Could you imagine Kyle having to listen to that at home? She needs to remain silent so I can see her as just utterly flawless. The film, like I said, makes me feel sane, like all my "problems" can be dealt with and that I don't ever have to resort to being such a hysterical end=of-the-world drama queen like Mizrahi. And his singing? and his dancing? and his annoying hair? If I had that hair I would have had it cut a long time ago. Having said this, he is richer than I will ever be and he has loads of more prospects than I will ever have. So screw me and good for him. I guess I have to admit it, I really liked this film. It's a guilty pleasure. see it.

This is a documentary about Isaac Mizrahi at work; it's a celebration of him and the fashion world, and far more engaging than you would expect because Isaac is so engaging he almost convinces you that fashion can be interesting. It's a wild ride, and the only real problem is that there's too little Cindy Crawford (she doesn't turn up until about an hour or so into the film) and too much Naomi Campbell. But hey, that's what videos and fast-forward buttons were made for...

Well, it was long, and showed very little of the models really. I was thinking it was going to have tons of models. It's all about the designer. It's sort of depressing, but if you want to be a fashion designer, this flick is a must!

I have seen few movies as ridiculously shallow and pretentious as this movie with the exception of maybe Jawbreaker or Titanic. Mizrahi is mistaken to think that his personality is enough to carry an entire film. We are subjected to bad singing and bizarre dance moves. He shows off his primadona authority by courageously demanding that a skrim be placed at one of his shows to reveal the models change clothes. This somehow makes him a pioneering innovator. The concept of a documentary about a fashion designer working on a collection is a great idea, but Mizrahi wants to show off his character and his connections. At times he shows us the various sources of his inspiration, but that doesn't seem to be the primary focus of the film. That primary focus is the rantings and ravings of a self-centered fool.

I've seen 'Unzipped' many, many times and every time I see it feels as refreshing as it felt the first time. Mizrahi is very interesting, funny and talented at the same time and this film really provides insight into this man's life and career.

What I like about 'Unzipped' is that it doesn't show everything. It sifts the recorded events to show something entertaining, with the reality factor still there. I also understand that some scenes like the intro or the ending are probably not "real", but I don't care.

'Unzipped' is more a movie and less a documentary and I love it. And it's got Sandra Bernhard in it; what more do you want?

9/10