Presented by the fashion brand Miu Miu, Women’s Tales is a collection of short films made by women that in which the filmmakers use the clothes of Miu Miu to each tell a story of their own. Each film is set during a certain collection from that season from the fashion brand where a filmmaker is allowed to create a story through the clothes. There are 25 short films so far that all play into womanhood while wearing beautiful clothing.
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Powder Room (Zoe Cassavetes) is about a woman going into a powder room at a lavish hotel in London for some beauty rest as she sees other women going in and getting ready for whatever they’re about to do. It’s a three-minute short that doesn’t have much going for it but it does set the tone for what the rest of the series does though it’s not a promising start despite its minimalist tone.
Muta (Lucrecia Martel) is set on a yacht on the Amazon near Paraguay where eight women would be on the yacht wearing lavish clothing though their faces aren’t shown with a couple of them wearing masks. Featuring regular Martel actress Maria Alche, the six-minute short is a surreal one as it features an unseen men trying to get on the boat but fails as it is one of the best shorts of the series.
The Woman Dress (Giada Colagrande) revolves around a woman who enters a room where three women are preparing a ritual in creating a dress. The six-minutes short is a strange one in terms of its mixture of drama with a bit of horror though the latter is presented in a less gory manner than one would expect. It is a fascinating short that has Colagrande create something that has elements of surrealism but does a lot in emphasizing the creation of a dress.
It’s Getting Late (Massy Tadjedin) revolves around four women getting ready to finish their work to attend a concert by Zola Jesus. Starring Patricia Clarkson, Gemma Arterton, Rinko Kikuchi, and Aubrey Plaza, the short shows what these women do on a work day with Arterton being a stay-at-home mother, Clarkson a film editor, Kikuchi as a corporate executive, and Plaza as a blogger. The short has them taking off their work clothes and put on the Miu Miu outfit to watch Zola Jesus as it is an incredible short.
The Door (Ava Duvernay) is a stylish short that stars Gabrielle Union as a woman dealing with loneliness as she would meet three different women who would give her a night out. Featuring Adepero Oduye, Emayatzy Corinealdi, and singer Goapele Mohlabene as these admirers, the short has Duvernay showcase this sense of sisterhood among black women as the short also has Alfre Woodard as either a neighbor or Union’s mother who helps Union’s character as it is a phenomenal short.
Prior to the landmark films she’s made in her career, Sofia Coppola was simply known to many as the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola as well as gaining notoriety for her Razzie-winning performance in The Godfather Pt. III. Shortly after appearing in that film, Coppola was struggling to get projects going as she appeared in music videos for the Black Crowes, Madonna, and later the Chemical Brothers’ Elektrobankthat was directed by her then-boyfriend Spike Jonze. Coppola’s aspirations to become a director did come with a project that was co-directed with Ione SkyecalledBed, Bath, & Beyond that featured another director that was rarely seen. At the same time, she had already directed videos for Walt Mink and the Flaming Lips. Yet, it would be another film that would pave the way for Coppola’s arrival as a prominent director with a unique voice in the 16mm, black-and-white short film called Lick the Star.
Directed by Sofia Coppola with a script co-written with Stephanie Hayman, Lick the Star tells the story of a group of girls planning a scheme on some boys. When one of the girls becomes alienated by one of her friends in the clique, it would lead to some dire consequences. The 13-minute short recalls the future themes Coppola would explore in later films including alienation and the troubles of being a young woman. With a cast of mostly unknowns that would include Coppola’s cousin Robert Schwartzman and a cameo appearance from legendary director Peter Bogdanovich. Lick the Star is a promising, intriguing short from Sofia Coppola.
After getting her left foot injured, Kate (Christina Turley) returns to middle school after a few days of being in a hospital. Things have changed in the few days she missed school though one thing is still the same as Chloe (Audrey Heaven) is still the queen of the 7th grade. Along with Rebecca (Julia Vanderham) and Sara (Lindsy Drummer), they rule the seventh grade as they pull pranks and lord over the rest of their classmates. Kate is befuddled by their quote “lick the star” as it’s a code for “kill the rats” as Chloe and the gang plan to poison Greg (Robert Schwartzman) with arsenic from an idea they got from the book Flowers in the Attic.
After Kate got caught with a cigarette, the principal (Peter Bogdanovich) lists her as a non-student so she couldn’t attend proms or other school-related activities. With Kate out of the plan due to her hesitation, Chloe along with Rebecca and Sara go along. Yet, Rebecca and Sara starts to have second thoughts where Chloe treats them with contempt. Then when a minor conversation about history class is overheard, Chloe is suddenly the target of the entire 7th grade as she is suddenly made an outcast.
The film is about a girl trying to take revenge on the boys only to make herself become an outcast. Yet, there’s also the story of another girl who is unaware of her friends now becoming this clique as she finds herself isolated about the plan they do. Yet, it’s the theme of alienation that would become prevalent in the work that Sofia Coppola would have in her later films along with the theme of womanhood. Coppola definitely understands what teenage girls go through in dealing with isolation as well as not being able to understand the consequences when one believes she is the queen. Along with co-writer Stephanie Hayman, Coppola adds a sense of realism to the story along with stylistic dialogue that rings very true to what kids would say about anything.
The direction Coppola has is very stylish as Chloe’s entrance is presented in slow-motion with jump-cuts to play along to music by the Amps. Even as she creates haunting yet entrancing compositions with the four girls lying on the grass during gym class just acting cool. There’s a looseness to the presentation as well as the fact that it’s shot on location with real students of the school as extras. Yet, the realness of how kids act and behave during those time seem true instead of presented in such a melodramatic or overly-stylized fashion. Coppola’s striking compositions along with the way she frames scenes from the perspective of a student. The result is a truly fascinating yet engrossing short from Sofia Coppola.
Helping Coppola with her look is cinematographer Lance Acord, the photographer who would later work with her in films like Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette. Acord’s grainy black-and-white 16mm look is truly fascinating from the bright sunny lights and white background where there is something that is fun to look at. When it’s night, the look is dark but with a tone that is truly foreboding. Acord’s work is phenomenal as he creates beauty to the film. Editor Eric Zumbrunnen does excellent work with the film’s stylized editing with its sense of rhythm and straightforward transitions. Even in Chloe’s opening arrival where the use of jump-cuts and slow-motion definitely lets the audience in on the fact that it’s not going to be some kind of Hollywood-standard kind of film.
Art director Kira Cunningham does very good work with the look of the lockers inside that’s plastered with photos and such with contributions from Leslie Hayman of The Virgin Suicides as a set dresser. Longtime associate of the Coppola family in sound designer Richard Beggs brings some fantastic work in capturing the sound locations and atmosphere of the school. The film’s soundtrack includes some noisy but catchy driven girl rock from acts like the Amps, the Go-Go’s, Kim Gordon’s Free Kitten project, and Land of the Loops.
The cast includes mostly unknowns with appearances from renowned director Peter Bogdanovich as the school’s principal and Sofia Coppola’s friend Zoe Cassavetes as the P.E. teacher. Sofia’s cousin Robert Schwartzman is very good as the girls’ enemy Greg while Julia Vanderham and Lindsy Drummer are excellent in their respective roles as Rebecca and Sara, two of Chloe’s friends who try to deal with Chloe’s attitude. Christina Turley is wonderful as Kate, Chloe’s injured friend who tries to deal with everything that is happening while being the only one who later sympathize what would happen to Chloe. Finally, there’s Audrey Heaven who is great as Chloe. Heaven delivers a cool yet stylized performance as a queen bee who is full of herself only to become isolated by her antics as Heaven is the real standout of the cast.
Lick the Star is a remarkable short film from Sofia Coppola that captures the world of alienation and girlhood with such captivating style and harsh realism. Fans of Coppola’s work will no doubt see this as a fascinating short that would set the stage for what would come from the famed director of films like The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, and Marie Antoinette. In the end, Lick the Star is a wonderful short from Sofia Coppola.
