“People get rich complaining about this shit. Complaining is a respected industry.”
This is a mockumentary about the fashion industry, that’s rather edgy in its black comedy. (A different film of the same title was released in 1999.) A new top fashion model endures the depravity of the business, but not so well it turns out. She dies right in the middle of her biggest photo shoot.
With her death the centerpiece of the film, the nutty and exploitative cast of characters are confronted about what they do and why. This is not a well-loved film, and yet it was far more interesting in concept than the Robert Altman fashion industry film Ready to Wear (Prêt-à-Porter).
Many issues are touched upon, including the nature of for-profit documentaries themselves. Everyone has an angle to play, especially when the dead model is used to sell clothes, post-mortem. Turns out that supermodels are worth more dead than alive.
The blitzkrieg of artsy bullshit and rationalization which follows calls into question not just these industries, but the consumers who are ultimately responsible for them. That includes the movie audience. It’s discomforting by design, intended to disturb. That’s probably why it remains under the radar…
Political Film Blog 