Irma Vep: Olivier Assayas’ film follows a dysfunctional (is there any other kind?) film shoot, focusing on the hired foreign star of the remake of a silent classic, and doubling up as a commentary of the French film industry at the time. The movie is brimming with chaotic energy as it looks into the small dramas in the film set, but ultimately it feels more like an exercise than a finished project; a very entertaining exercise, but still. The wonderful Maggie Cheung plays a fictionalized version of herself, a Hong Kong action star in a nice performance. Jean-Pierre Léaud, as the film director, is convincingly uninterested in the project at hand. The supporting cast is effective in their roles. Cinematographer Eric Gautier is responsible for the energy, using for the most part a handheld camera close to the action, but inconstant in its attention; editor Luc Barnier makes good use of those images.