*** (Three stars)
In this nonnarrative film, the camera lovingly pans over black-and-white pictures of stunning women (Karen Elson, Isabelle Huppert, Amber Valletta, Chiara Mastroianni, Anna Mouglalis, etc.), as shot by elite photographer Peter Lindbergh. In between montages of these frozen beauties, we get seemingly random excerpts of older films starring Jeanne Moreau, like Jules and Jim and Mademoiselle. The video collage is accompanied by snippets from songs performed by Moreau, most notably the sublime theme to India Song, and the actor also provides a voiceover, reading a text by New York poet Kimiko Hahn. I'll be honest: I have no idea what director Holly Fisher is going on about here. On paper, star photography, screen-icon fetishism and underground cinema form an intriguing mélange, but Fisher’s film feels too precious by half. You’re better off renting Kenneth Anger’s Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome.—Elisabeth Vincentelli, arts & entertainment editor
[This is a TONY staff review, written for the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. It is not considered an official review and should not be read as such. Please think of it as a casual impression from a movie-loving friend.]