THE NEW LOOK (2024) – Stylish and engaging tale of the high fashion society in WWII
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The New Look has a fascinating biographical story to tell about the struggles of the Haute Couture society in France during the turbulent days of German occupied Frace and the immediate years following the end of the war. In particular, it focus on the lives of fashion designers, the rising star Christian Dior and reigning queen of high fashion, Coco Chanel. These two never really interacted much together but the series cleverly intertwined their separate struggles and stories under the common tapestry of the War and the post War aftershocks.
Much criticism had been thrown about the choice of the film makers to have all the characters speak in English rather than in the native language when almost everybody is French. They further lament about how weird it was for the actors to put on a French ascent while speaking in English. I on the other hand did not find this an annoyance or a problem at all. This is after all made in America and hence catered to an English speaking audience so what is the problem? I pity these critics for they have allowed this to deflect their attention from enjoying a truly beautifully made movie that not only manage to enlighten us on the trauma of the war but also gain an insight into the culture and values that defined and supported the survival of haute couture in France.
The New Look also benefits from a perfect cast headed by the splendid Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior. The 10 episodes takes us through his journey to become the founder of one of the world’s top fashion houses despite all odds and duress in great details. Maisie Williams whom many of us will fondly recognised as the unforgettable Arya Stark in The Game of Thrones, takes on a more matured role as the younger sister of Christian, Catherine. She shows us again what an accomplished actress she is in this difficult role of a young French Resistance fighter who was tortured in Nazi captivity. Then there is the lovely Juliette Binoche as the head strong and devious Coco Chanel who will do anything for her own survival and for her nephew. The rest of the supporting cast were equally competent and strongly performed.
The overall look and feel of the production was classy and authentic. If I have to complain I have to admit that the clarity wasn’t in par with what I am used to as the whole thing looked a bit murky. Perhaps this was intentional by the film makers but I fail to see how that added value the overall experience. The series did not focus much on the actual fashion so those expecting to see lots of parading of high fashion would be disappointed. The film makers held back on displaying Christian Dior’s classic designs until the final episodes and it was quite simply glorious to behold, providing the most fitting climax to the show.
This series felt very much like a one off limited series as the ending provided an acceptable closure to the stories. However, happily, I understand that a second season is in development! Definitely looking forward for that.