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Prêt-à-Porter
1994 Comedy / Drama
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Credits
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Director: Robert Altman
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Script: Robert Altman and Barbara Shulgasser
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Photo: Jean Lépine, Pierre Mignot
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Music: Michel Legrand
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Cast: Marcello Mastroianni (Sergei),
Sophia Loren (Isabella de la Fontaine),
Jean-Pierre Cassel (Olivier de la Fontaine),
Kim Basinger (Kitty Potter),
Chiara Mastroianni (Sophie
Choiset),
Stephen Rea (Milo O'Brannigan),
Anouk Aimée (Simone Lowenthal),
Rupert Everett (Jack Lowenthal),
Rossy de Palma (Pilar),
Tara Leon (Kiki Simpson),
Georgianna Robertson (Dane Simpson),
Lili Taylor (Fiona Ulrich),
Jean Rochefort (Inspector Tantpis),
Michel Blanc (Inspector Forget),
François Cluzet (Nina's Assistant)
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Country: USA
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Language: English / French
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Runtime: 133 min
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Aka: Prêt-à-Porter: Ready to Wear; Ready to Wear
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Summary
World class couturiers, models and journalists converge on Paris to play their part in
France’s pret-à-porter fashion show. Behind the surface gloss and
razzmatazz, numerous intrigues are on the go. Sergei returns from his exile in Russia
to try to rekindle old flames with his former lover, Isabella – who is now married to
senior fashion executive Olivier de la Fontaine. When the latter chokes to death
on a sandwich, Sergei goes on the run, fearing he will be charged with murder. Meanwhile,
top fashion designer Simone Lowenthal is becoming disillusioned with her industry and
plans to mount a spectacular coup on the catwalks...
Review
Prêt-à-Porter, arguably Robert Altman’s least worthy cinematic achievement,
proves the age-old adage that a great cast and loads of money does not necessarily a great
film make. Despite a truly prestigious international cast, this is a film which just fails
to sparkle and, at well over two hours in length, it is something of a chore to sit through.
There are some great moments in the film, but these are simply overwhelmed by the amount
of material (much of it mediocre padding) crammed into it. Surprisingly for an Altman
film, some of the attempts at humour are very feeble, often resorting to puerile jokes
(such as the recurring "oh so funny" dog poo gag). A generally flat and uninspired
work, Prêt-à-Porter, appears to have little intelligent to say about
the fashion industry, and what it does say is painfully superficial, resorting wherever
possible to the obvious (and rather silly) stereotypes.
© James Travers 2003
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