Written by Sofia Mongillo Bermejo

In Alice Winocour’s Couture, American filmmaker Maxine (Angelina Jolie), travels to Paris for Fashion Week, where her longtime passion project is being filmed and presented. While there, she receives a medical diagnosis that forces her to face an uncertain future. At the same time, newcomer Ada (Anyier Anei) arrives eager to break into the fashion industry, preparing to walk in a Chanel show while finding her footing among more experienced models.

In this film,

behind-the-scenes creatives take center stage. Rather than following a single narrative, Couture drifts between multiple perspectives. Models, designers, makeup artists, and other industry figures move in and out of focus, and the result is something that feels more like a collection of loosely connected vignettes than a traditional drama. While it introduces several interesting characters, it rarely gives them stories compelling enough to justify the attention.

Yet the film never fully capitalizes on its most interesting ideas.

Character arcs feel underdeveloped, emotional beats arrive without much buildup, and several storylines seem to disappear as quickly as they're introduced. A sudden romantic subplot between Maxine and a fellow crew member feels particularly unnecessary, taking up valuable screen time that could have been spent developing the film's stronger relationships and themes.

One of its more frustrating qualities is its reluctance to take a clear stance on the world it's trying to show us. Fashion Week serves as the backdrop for nearly every storyline, yet the film never seems particularly interested in examining the industry itself. Winocour adopts an almost documentary-like approach, simply following various figures through their routines. While this lends the film a sense of authenticity, it also leaves it feeling oddly detached. By the end, it's difficult to discern what Couture is trying to say about the fashion world beyond the fact that it exists.

This detached quality extends to the film as a whole. Despite the constant movement of Fashion Week and the number of stories unfolding simultaneously, surprisingly little actually happens. The film creates the impression that something significant is always just around the corner, yet many of its narrative threads never develop into anything particularly meaningful. It often feels less like a fully realized drama and more like an extended backstage pass, offering access to interesting people without revealing much beneath the surface.

Still, the performances help elevate the material.

Anyier Anei delivers a natural and convincing performance as Ada, capturing both the excitement and uncertainty of a young woman navigating an intimidating industry for the first time. She gives Ada an emotional sincerity that resonates as the character balances newfound career opportunities with the responsibility of supporting her struggling family back home. Angelina Jolie, meanwhile, delivers the strongest performance in the cast. Her portrayal of Maxine is understated yet emotionally grounded, bringing depth to a character the screenplay doesn't always fully explore.

From a technical standpoint, Couture is competently crafted.

The cinematography is polished, the performances are strong, and the film captures Paris and its fashion spaces with an understated elegance. Winocour's direction is never distracting, but it is rarely distinctive either. The visual style, sound design, and score all serve the story adequately without leaving little lasting impression. Fortunately, the film's restrained runtime and steady pacing prevent it from becoming a chore to sit through, even when its narrative struggles to generate momentum.

While Couture offers an authentic look

behind the curtain of Fashion Week and features strong performances from Anyier Anei and Angelina Jolie, its fragmented storytelling and lack of narrative focus keep it from achieving the emotional impact it seems to be striving for. The result is a film filled with interesting people, but not enough insight into what makes their stories worth telling.