Tilda Swinton and "The Impossible Wardrobe"

Tilda Swinton in
The Impossible Wardrobe

I first became aware of Tilda Swinton from a poster for Orlando. Her paleness, sharp features, and thin figure, at that time, seemed in tune with the fashion world's unreasoned lust for a fresh "look of the month." It wasn't for me, and I thought there was a surfeit of British actresses, anyway.

In recent years, Swinton's roles melted my wariness about a Cambridge-educated import over whom Hollywood went ga-ga. She won a deserved Oscar for her performance in Michael Clayton. She also effectively starred in Io sono l'amore, shown in US art houses as I Am Love. Her most recent effort is an intriguing collaborative project currently being shown during Paris' Festival d'Automne. As noted in Women's Wear Daily and Le Monde, the film portion comes via artist and photographer Katerina Jebb. She shot a "fashion performance" of Olivier Saillard's The Impossible Wardrobe, in which Swinton was the featured actress.

According to the Festival d'Automne's website:

In a fashion museum like Galliera, thousands of clothes from various historical times are carefully stored -- often never to be worn again.
Tilda Swinton learned the minute gestures of the fashion archivist and invented others, chaste or romantic. In a mysterious fashion show, she showcases precious dresses in a restrained ritual, reviving the hidden histories weaved into the fabrics.

If you want to see this film, you'd better catch the next flight to Paris. The show closes October 1st.

A Donkey Could Do It

Did Tilda Swinton get it right?

Some time ago, the British actress told an interviewer that a donkey's performance in Robert Bresson's Au hasard Balthazar was one of the screen's great performances. She wasn't talking about a human actor; an animal is the lead character. I've seen the movie and I think she has a point.

One could argue there are many two-legged actor donkeys who have worked, or who are currently working, in motion pictures. Hmmm...top ten actor-donkeys...let's start on the male side of the ledger...

By the way, Swinton confirmed her statement in a recent interview done to plug her new starring vehicle, I Am Love. Inquiring minds wonder whether Swinton has expanded her universe of possible donkeys to include film critics she doesn't like.