The last time I caught Angelina Jolie on screen was in Maria, where she played the iconic opera singer Maria Callas. Now, she’s taking on a fictional role as Maxine Walker, a character that shares quite a few personal similarities with Jolie herself. Maxine is an American filmmaker, and Jolie has directed several films; the character is dealing with a tough divorce, like she recently did; plus, Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away from breast cancer.

Though Jolie can speak French since her mom was French-Canadian, she took intense lessons to nail the French dialogue for her character. The movie takes place during Paris Fashion Week. Despite the title and setting, the film isn’t really about fashion. Writer/director Alice Winocour has said in her press tour that fashion serves as a mirror of the world of appearances. Couture peels back the grueling work that goes on behind the glamorous, polished images we see in fashion magazines, showcasing the women who exist behind that seemingly flawless facade.

The word “couture” translates to “stitches,” and Winocour stitched together a narrative about three women from diverse backgrounds whose paths cross during Fashion Week. Besides Maxine, we’ve got Ada (Anyier Anei) and Angèle (Ella Rumpf). Ada is a fresh-faced, South Sudanese model attempting to launch her fashion career despite initially wanting to study pharmacy, and Angèle is a makeup artist working in the shadows of the catwalks, quietly dreaming of becoming a writer. I was hoping that these three women would have more screen time together, but that isn’t the case. There is, however, a profoundly moving scene between Jolie and Rumpf towards the end.

The fashion scenes come across as authentic since Winocour teamed up with Chanel, captured beautifully by French cinematographer André Chemetoff. This film made history by being the first feature ever allowed to film inside the House of Chanel’s private tailoring workshops and showrooms in Paris. The cancer plot hits close to home since Jolie had a preventative double mastectomy back in 2013 to lower her breast cancer risk, and I recently found out that Winocour is also a breast cancer survivor. 

The scene where Maxine gets her diagnosis from a doctor in Paris (Vincent Lindon) is harrowing, but her shocked reaction feels real. As a working woman, she attempts to negotiate her treatment around her schedule, but we know that the disease won’t exactly wait for a convenient time. It’s one of the most genuinely vulnerable performances I’ve seen from Jolie, which is a nice change because she often plays characters with such formidable strength that it’s borderline caricature (like Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider films and the superhero Thena in Eternals). 

Jolie has a sexy chemistry with Louis Garrel‘s Anton, the cinematographer for her project. Their professional collaboration takes a romantic turn when Maxine unexpectedly makes a move on him. Anton is a sympathetic character, but he’s so thinly written that Garrel is a bit wasted in this role. While their relationship starts with an enticing spark, it’s not deep enough to make it a meaningful part of the story.

Meanwhile, the journey of young Ada strips away the glamor of being a fashion model. Plucked out of obscurity when she’s picked as the lead model for Maxine’s extravagant video for a high-profile fashion event, she finds it tough to fit in a new country. You can really feel her sense of isolation from the cliquish group of models, but she keeps pushing through and even forms an unexpected bond with a Ukrainian model who initially brushed her off. Interestingly, Jolie portrayed a real-life model, Gia Carangi, early in her career in Gia in 1998, but that’s a far more tragic film than this one.

I really connected with Angèle’s story. I’ve seen Rumpf in Tokyo Vice, but this is the first time I’ve seen her in a film role. Angèle is overworked and underappreciated, hopping from one gig to another while trying to squeeze in some time to write. She can barely manage a quick virtual call with a script reader between her gigs. Angèle truly lives up to her name, as her small acts of kindness make a difference in others’ lives, like quietly slipping menstrual products into a model’s bag or offering some encouraging words when someone really needs it.

Winocour’s films often delve into the narratives of women, showcasing their challenges and fortitude. I haven’t seen her Oscar-nominated film Mustang from 2015 yet, but I did enjoy the lesser-known Proxima, featuring Eva Green as an astronaut. What stands out the most is how Winocour contrasts the beauty and allure of the fashion world with the harsh realities of illness and death. The realm of haute couture serves as an astute metaphor for how beauty is so fleeting. The stunning set pieces, production design, and costumes depicting a mythical forest in Maxine’s video are truly breathtaking. However, all the hard work that took weeks to assemble is washed away in just minutes by a sudden downpour during the outdoor performance.

Angèle’s voiceover amidst the show’s chaos really hits the heart of the film: “They had to be fleeting images, bodies without words, but I knew they all wanted to scream one day, like me.” She reads excerpts from her writing, contemplating her journey through the brutal fashion world and her desire to break free from the glitz for a different life.

Although the film isn’t flawless, there are many aspects to admire. The themes of female solidarity, empathy, and resilience shine through the glamorous fashion scene. I believe that those who have faced a tough health diagnosis or know someone who has can truly relate to this story. I appreciate the message that cancer isn’t just a death sentence; it’s a moment to face the fragility of life and can help us cherish our limited time on this planet.