The Model (2016) Reviews

• I've seen worse, but I've seen plenty better

  euroGary2016-06-23

  'The Model' opens with shots of city streets - but what city? It's not New York - no gleaming skyscrapers - and those narrow, hilly streets belong to neither London nor Copenhagen (this is a Danish film). Actually, it is Paris - director Mads Matthiesen fooling the viewer by ignoring the film convention that every establishing shot of the French capital must feature the Eiffel Tower. The story follows Emma, a painfully slim young Dane, who arrives in the city ready to begin her career as a fashion model. Her supporting cast are quickly established - Zofia, a prickly fellow model who becomes her friend; and a fatherly landlord. Her first shoot, with temperamental British photographer Shane, does not go well, but one dance at a nightclub later and Emma is not only Shane's favourite model but is also tumbling into bed with him. Soon she is swept up in an exciting lifestyle of glamorous fashion shoots, girly confidences with Zofia and parties where dishes of cocaine are presented as interesting table decorations. To be frank, the film is not a success. The storyline is very soapy, but the pacing is slow in far too many places. This is partly because central character Emma, as played by Maria Palm (a real-life model), is rather glum and lifeless, wafting about the screen like a floaty curtain (but Palm deserves credit for acting not just in her native Danish, but also in English and French). The viewer's feeling that he's watching a soap opera is reinforced by Ed Skrein as Shane, whose husky voice and showy mannerisms are straight out of 'Hollyoaks'. The story does not share with the viewer the legal ramifications for Emma of the climactic scene (you'll know when you've reached it) and there's a very noticeable continuity error when, during a conversation between Emma and Shane, the camera focuses on the back of the latter's neck - in one shot the label of his T-shirt is sticking up, in the next it's no longer visible - a minor thing, admittedly, but one I found distracting. All of which means I'm marking this film 'must try harder'.

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• Young aspiring model loses her way

  franklydude2016-08-21

  A 2016 movie about a young model who is taken advantage of (a little) by some of the people she meets in Paris... I agree with the previous reviewer; it's well made, good story line, well acted, giving a balanced picture of the modelling industry, and one girl's story of how things can go wrong, & survival. There was another 2016 movie about a model, "Neon Demon", and this was 100 times more worthwhile, and probably cost a lot less to make! The audio & visual impact of Neon Demon was awesome, but it was a hollow waste of time, and the publicity machine made it look attractive. If "The Model" was treated the same way, it would still have been good, but it didn't need the gloss or powerful audio track to make it work. Some of the dialogue is in Danish, but you don't really need subtitles to understand what's being said.

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• sickly sentimental story

  ElliesWonder2017-10-17

  Paris is always one of the cities that I dream to be live, Paris is a word of romantic and fashion. Unfortunately, two French movies I watched recently, 'The Model' and 'L'amant double', both are pretty sick for me. I think I am probably 'not acclimated' to Paris culture because both movies showed me nothing besides sex and lies. The main character from The Model, Emma is a coquette. In my hometown words, we classify these kinds of women and named them 'Green Tea be-tri' - the one who is fresh as green tea that good at acting naive and innocent, but an emotional manipulator. What is the movie about: Emma came to Paris for her modeling career, she screwed up her first job and reclaimed the job by seduced the photographer. She lied to the photographer that she doesn't have a boyfriend, in fact she usually has one back in town. Up to that point, I wasn't surprised or mad if Emma just simply fall in love with another guy. The photographer is handsome, and famous that will be helpful to her career. Besides, long distance relationship is difficult, especially living in a foreign country, people have to face everything new, and cannot be comforted when they need it. What goes wrong after was Emma played between men, she cheated to different men. I couldn't imagine how this plot could be wrote in such unexpected stupid and dramatic. Soon after, the girl not just played with 2 men, she played with 3! After Emma was found to have an affair with the third person, the photographer ended their relationship. Then Emma pretended to be pregnant to get him back, but soon was caught, and betrayed by her roommate. The ending is even more dramatic soapy, spoilers can be included in few words with rape, knife and police, and I have no more interested to recall them in details because I am speechless and sick already. My option/Why I don't like The movie exaggerated this chaotic relationship and the temptation, Yet lack of reality, and ignore those genuine hard workers. I can never be a fan of this kind of sickly sentimental story, too fake and negative. It also demonized the model industry.

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• What in the world...

  chrislesmckis2017-04-09

  Geeze this movie had a lot of potential. I know it was an over dramatization of a real situation, but i feel like this movie could have delivered so much more. There are parts of the movie that are really strong, and you become intrigued and you feel very invested in the movie, but it falls flat almost immediately. The ending somewhat saved it, but you don't necessarily feel her loss, you just feel somewhat benign. I would love to see a remake of this movie, but with a better screenplay. I loved the lead male photographer and female model. you also see full front of a very hairy dude. Hes hot but not well groomed. thats not a spoiler. its just a fact.

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• I haven't seen a movie so well made for a long time. It was really well logically though over.

  johnostrowka2016-05-27

  I have to say that it is a strong 8/10. The movie is showing how easily modeling/fashion industry can manipulate young and inexperienced. What I liked the most (!!!minor spoiler!!!) was the opening scene showcasing the streets of Paris. These scenes were shown also at the end of the movie and made great framing of the whole movie. What is more important is that after experiencing the movie we are not going to look at, the ending photos of these street in Paris, the same. They are no longer going to be so innocently to the eyes of the audience. Anyway, I would strongly recommend this movie to everyone who enjoys watching drama focused around the life of newly "discovered" model in the fashion industry. I also think that "The Model" is also right movie, for anyone who likes to watch something slightly more demanding than another blockbuster movie.

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