French filmmaker Oliver Assayas' "Irma Vep," a streaming series adaptation of his own movie adaptation of a silent serial, has become a stealthy summer treat, and the finale, which premiered Monday on HBO and HBO Max, sends its characters spinning off in different directions with a joyfully knowing bit of surprise casting.
By turns playful, hypnotic, laceratingly funny and deeply vulnerable, the series goes to places Assayas could not in a feature film, exploring unexpected corners of the characters' lives and personalities. As Assayas described the show, "It's a serious comedy about cinema and the people who make it."
In films such as "Demonlover," "Summer Hours," "Clouds of Sils Maria," "Personal Shopper" and "Non-Fiction," Assayas has long made nimble movies that meditate on the anxieties and issues of modern life, grappling with how technology and globalization impact people's everyday interactions and relationships.
