The Dress

The dress itself is parrot-blue and covered in abstract leaves of red, gold and orange; it’s eye-catching enough for a summer frock, but it’s not going to be the star of any woman’s wardrobe. The design is conceived in a moment of desperation and despair, inspired by a street argument; the prototype is created by a pervert. The women who buy it hope that it might brighten their lives for a brief moment, but it only leads them to sorrow instead. The plot wanders off Phantom of Liberty style to each new owner of the dress, but perhaps one of the weirdest things about the movie is that it feels neither unified nor fragmented. From segment to segment, the tone of downbeat drama alternating with bittersweet comedy remains the same, and characters even recur, but there isn’t a strong thread holding the tales together—other than, perhaps, the way they all illustrate the futility of the pursuit of erotic happiness. Writer/director van Warmerdam gives himself the best role, as a train conductor who becomes obsessed with the wearer of the dress.
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