Curiously slight for the documentarian responsible for some of the most memorable portraits ever committed to film, the documentary "Iris" follows New York fashion icon Iris Apfel. Albert Maysles, the filmmaker, died in March at age 88. The two subject share the film both in on-screen time and thematically in what the film is saying about life and how to live it.
It is charming and easy to see why Maysles was so taken by Iris Apfel. She's full of more life than most people her age and perhaps that is one of the most affecting aspects of the film. Iris leaves you smiling and wanting to make your life as creative and full as hers.
The film jumps from Iris shopping, doing photo shoots, and attending fashion events but perhaps the best moments are in the interviews in which she largely talks to her long time husband Carl. She is 92 and he is 100 and Maysles captures them candidly in their twilight years.
The Maysles have always been a presence in their movies, which are ultimately commentaries on the ways the presence of a camera affects the things it films. Albert's POV is essential to Iris. He sees her as something to admire, someone who has refused agism and instead marched to her own beat.
"Iris," is largely about this relationship. The thing one walks away from is a sense that life could be lived bolder, fuller and longer than one might think. Some may criticize the film for not digging deep into who Iris is, what makes her tick. That misses the beauty within the film as the filmmaker falls for his subject out of a sense of awe and admiration.
4/5
"Iris," is largely about this relationship. The thing one walks away from is a sense that life could be lived bolder, fuller and longer than one might think. Some may criticize the film for not digging deep into who Iris is, what makes her tick. That misses the beauty within the film as the filmmaker falls for his subject out of a sense of awe and admiration.
4/5
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