Youtube
This story is part of Ravishly's Cinephile Style series spotlighting fashionable looks in some of our favorite—and often obscure—films. Read more in the series here.
Oh boy, where do I begin. Perhaps, with a recommendation: do watch this movie with a girlfriend, on a spirits-soaked night of bonding and laughter (like I did). Do not take the movie seriously. Brian de Palma, the man of both epic victories (The Untouchables, Scarface) and epic fails (Black Dahlia, Femme Fatal) decidedly stepped out of the limelight after directing this all-female thriller in 2012, more-than-possibly embarrassed and with an alternative career in mind.
This wannabe film noir is half parody, half guilty pleasure, and full on so-bad-it's-good. You know what I'm talking about. God knows how Rachel McAdams and Noomy Rapace agreed to this (they might have an excellent sense of humor or were under serious psychological duress), but no matter how you evisercate its cinematic qualities, the styling is undeniably fab.
So let's keep talking.
The ambiance: "The rivalry between the manipulative boss of an advertising agency and her talented protégé escalates from stealing credit to public humiliation to murder," says IMDB. Couldn't of said it better myself. To add to the guilty-pleasure ridiculousness, the entire movie takes place in unbelievable, over-the-top settings that lack any cultural or geographical cues. It's basically a beautiful vacuum of glass and metal offices, empty hallways, and a bevy of high-end hotel rooms. There's nary a specific, evocative set in sight. What there is however is a host of impeccable digs, a lot of whispering and gloriously bad acting. It's an utterly delicious—if saccharine—backdrop.
The style: Here's where things gets interesting. In a move not made since Mean Girls, the cruel blond Christine is played by McAdams, highlighted by luscious reds, creams, satin gowns and luxurious lingerie. Her office attire, as well as her cocktail-hour dresses, are basically flawless, and film noir retro. Isabelle, the timid protégé (Rapace) is clad in all-black, providing a decidedly edgy masculinity balance to Christine's ultra-feminine steaminess. She brings the modern edge, as well as a seemingly necessary touch of. Together the two characters run the whole gamut of the femme-butch cliche. Delectable bonuses include sky-high heels, sumptuous and impractical gloves, blindfolds galore, and more diamonds that you can count.
Watch and learn: Passion is heavy on satin, one of the trickiest—but most glamorous—fabrics on earth. From lapels to cocktail frocks, a little sheen goes a long way.
