Following Her Brother’s Passing, a Young Woman Attempts to Contact Him

Kristen Stewart in "Personal Shopper"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

A ghost story is something that offers many possibilities in film, as it can offer pure horror, such as in “Insidious”; genuine emotion, such as in “The Sixth Sense”; or hilarity, such as in the original “Ghostbusters.”  The subject of ghosts is deeply rooted in any culture, so it’s always fascinating to see how this topic is approached in a visual medium.

Director Olivier Assayas gives us a rather unconventional ghost story with his film, “Personal Shopper.”  Although it’s occasionally hindered by several shifts in tone, it still benefits from unsettling atmospherics, some creepy imagery, and a top-form performance from its lead.

Maureen (Kristen Stewart) lives in Paris and works as a personal shopper for a model.  On her own time, she communicates with ghosts, attempting to communicate with her deceased twin brother, while also coming into contact with other spirits.

Kristen Stewart offers one of her finest and most moving performances to date.  In the role of someone who feels a strong loneliness in the months following her brother’s death, Stewart’s work in this film pulls you in with her low-key approach to her character as Maureen involves herself in the supernatural, perfectly and quietly conveying the intensity of how much she misses her sibling, all of which makes her sadness much more powerful to watch.

With the help of Yorick Le Saux’s cinematography, the film offers some haunting and memorable imagery, with one shot in particular near the end that will give you some serious chills.  In the scenes where Maureen spends time in her brother’s home, we are given some unnerving long takes around his darkened house as Maureen explores the possibilities of there being spirits within the home.

Despite the occasional chills and creepy atmospherics, the screenplay by Assayas takes an intriguing approach to ghost stories, as it focuses more on the main character’s need to contact her deceased brother than trying to scare you, all of which gives us thought-provoking scenes as Maureen tries to make sense of her supernatural abilities.

A problem with the screenplay, however, is how it often feels like it has two types of movies going on at once, with one being an emotional ghost story, and the other being a psychological thriller, and the film would have been better had it stuck with the former the whole way through.

Although the film has this problem, credit should be given to Assayas for being able to give each of these two ideas their own distinct feel.  He creates an unsettling, yet solemn feeling when focusing more on the ghost story portions, and he makes your pulse quicken when the narrative veers into thriller territory.

It’s always rewarding to see filmmakers experiment with types of stories that have been around for a long time, and while “Personal Shopper” does have an issue its narrative, this is an admirable effort, regardless.  If you want to go to the movies and are in the mood for something different, Assayas’ film will give you much to ponder, as well as make your spine tingle a couple of times.

Final Grade: B+