Iris

Dir: Albert Maysles

2014

****

Albert Maysles' last feature-length documentary is a wonderful character study of fashion icon Iris Apfel and an indirect lesson on how to postpone the eventual. Iris Apfel tells us early on in the film that she was once told by an older women that she could never depend on her looks but should instead use her creativity to her advantage. It's clearly something she took to heart, although she has never been unattractive, she is most certainly creative and at the ripe old age of 90 she declares that she's never much been a fan of pretty, she's far more interested in the interesting. Legendary documentary maker Albert Maysles follows Apfel's busy life at work and at home, interviewing her friends and colleagues along the way. We see Apfel's life with her husband, hundred year old Carl, with whom she'd been happily married to for six-five years. Both have an appetite for life and both are clearly as besotted with each other as they were when they first met. Above all else, this film is a document of romance. Romance between a loving couple and the romance of life. Apfel embraces life and everything that comes with it, she's famous for her big glasses, colourful outfits and large bangles but Maysles reveals that there is far more to her than that. Apart from her vibrancy and infectious enthusiasm, I have to say what I found most alluring is her temperament. She is constantly hounded on her mobile and house phone and is pulled from place to place with everyone with even the smallest interest in fashion wanting a piece of her for their own. She is constantly condescended and patronized, as many older people are, but each vacuous interview and pointless question put to her is met with charm, warmth and patience. If there is only one thing Iris proves, it's that style isn't just something you wear. A wonderful swansong for director Albert Maysles and a lovely tribute to Carl who also died less than a year after filming.

Grey Gardens
Dir: Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer
1975
****
Grey Gardens has become quite the infamous documentary and it is both fascinating and appalling. Edith Sr and Edith Jr are about as eccentric as you get but then you wonder if their is more to it than just that, and so the initial reaction to watching it is that they were exploited which is actually quite shocking and also extremely sad. It's true that the couple, aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, were in some respects quite thankful for the attention, once being part of high-society but there is a sense that our grubby little obsession with voyeurism was born here. It's fascinating viewing thought, spellbinding throughout. There is nothing like a bit of rubbernecking along life's highway but then sometimes you're not always glad you looked. Compelling and repelling at the same time, I was captivated but it's an emotional roller-coaster. You could try and look for meaning but there really isn't any, it is titillating viewing, quite low-brow at that and the guiltiest of pleasures, a darker form of Schadenfreude if you will.