MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 26, 2026: COUTURE
Fashion often feels far from fabulous in writer/director Anna Winocour’s Paris-set drama Couture, which takes a frank look at what goes on behind the scenes in the world of impossibly chic designer dresses and elite runway models. But as it weaves together the stories of three different women — an up-and-coming director, a brand new model, and a make-up artist with big dreams — it creates a memorable fabric of emotion and experience.
Viewers are introduced first to Maxine Walker (Angelina Jolie), an American filmmaker who’s in France to bring her creative vision for a film/fashion show to life. This is a big deal for Maxine, whose career is gaining some much-needed momentum (to the dismay of her teenage daughter back home in the States), and she wants it to go perfectly. But unexpected health news throws her for a major loop, leading her to re-examine her plans and priorities.
Set to star in Maxine’s project is Ada (Anyier Anei), freshly arrived in the City of Light from South Sudan to pursue modeling work so she can make money to share with her family back home. She’s never walked a runway before, so she has lots to learn — luckily, amid the hordes of cynical, sophisticated fashion veterans she’s now surrounded by, there are people like make-up artist Angèle (Ella Rumpf) around to offer a kind word and a helping hand. Angèle, meanwhile, carefully observes everything going on around her so she can use it as fodder for the writing that’s her true passion, if only someone would give her a chance.
Winocour follows the three main characters as they move in and out of each other’s stories, giving viewers reasons to care about all three — though Jolie’s character has the most screen time. But that’s fine, because the actress is achingly vulnerable in her role; fueled, no doubt, by her own real life personal medical history. In the end, it’s hard not to want more of each woman’s journey, rather than just getting these first layers. Though perhaps that’s partly the point: As with couture, the finished product doesn’t fully reveal the painstaking labor it took to create something so essentially ephemeral.– Betsy Bozdech
Team #MOTW’s comments:
Leslie Combemale It’s no exaggeration to say that Couture feature’s Angelina Jolie’s best performance, which is saying something. She goes to some pretty raw and fearless places, which is the only way this role would resonate. The atmospheric, character-driven story of what it means to be human, what it means to face what we all face as mortals regardless of our station, experience or influence, will be appreciated by folks who want to dig into the deeper aspects of who we are. For people dealing with dramatic illnesses in their own or a loved-one’s life, be advised there may be some tough viewing ahead.
Loren King Fashion is high minded art and serious business to some; frivolous to others. The always interesting French screenwriter and director Alice Winocour’s drama Couture balances both. Much like life, the story ambles from ordinary, even mundane travails, to matters of life and death. Couture follows three women from different cultures who converge in Paris for fashion week. Nearly all the film’s substantial scenes take place between the women. Their disparate lives may intersect only briefly but Couture is most effective when subtly revealing a world where survival often depends on fleeting connections and unspoken understandings. Read full review.
Nell Minow: Alice Winocour has a rare gift for exploring the lives of women with delicacy and sensitivity and she does it with the visuals as well as the narrative. The three main characters are at very different stages, confronting very different challenges, but their stories reflect, intersect, and overlap. Set in the world of high fashion, the women’s experiences touch on issues of expectations, loss, beauty, agency, family, and the passion for creation.
Jennifer Merin Couture is filmmaker Alice Winocur’s thoroughly stylish drama starring Angelina Jolie as an American indie filmmaker who is comissioned to create the opening night movie for Paris Fashon Week. The challenges she faces turn out to be greater and more life and career determining than she had expected from her lucretive cinema gig and she is forced to make critical decisions about her future. Her story also embraces a delve into the life tyle and work conditions of superstar runway models. Jolie is at her best. The Winocour and Jolie collaboration is enough to command earnest attention, but additionally, the intertwined story lines, charaacter arcs and implicit themes are also engaging, hghly relatable and decidedly femme-centric. Craftwise the film is superb, with gorgeous costumes and exquisite cinematography.
Monique Jones Alice Winocour’s Couture injects the heart back into stories about the fashion industry. Cynically speaking, Angelina Jolie might be billed as the big star to get people to see the film. However, the shining light in the film is Anyier Anei, who plays new model Ada. Her character’s story is touching, and Anei plays her with the warmth and innocence of someone discovering their power for the first time. That isn’t to say that Jolie also doesn’t hold her own either. Every woman in the film gives her character room to breathe and experience life—the ups and the downs. Overall, Couture shows life itself as a bespoke experience, albeit one we can all relate to.
Sandie Angulo Chen: French writer-director Alice Winocour’s drama Couture follows several women connected to Paris Fashion Week: an American filmmaker collaborating with a major fashion house, a new model from South Sudan, a hardworking makeup artist, and the seamstress creating the show’s opening dress. Angelina Jolie gives a standout performance as Maxine, a director of feminist indie horror films who discovers she has a medical emergency, and Anyier Anei is luminous as Ada, an 18-year-old pharmacy student scouted to become the industry’s “fresh” new face of the year. The film has a documentary-like realism, and each storyline chronicles an arc of empowerment, identity, or self-discovery.
Liz Whittemore Alice Winocour’s Couture possesses a breathtakingly meta feel where lines between industry and artistry blur. An indie director, a couturière, a fresh-faced model, and a makeup artist all chase their dreams, each with a different endgame and motivation. The narrative flows from one woman to the next, each momentarily connected in a world of fashion. The juxtaposition of fear, confidence, doubt, and determination presents audiences with a deeply moving script. The film’s climax is a slow-motion cinematic spectacle of gothic beauty that will take your breath away, perfectly mirroring the strength of our leading ladies. It is a must-see in the largest format available.
FILM DETAILS:
Title: Couture
Director: Alice Winocour
Release Date: June 26, 2026
Running Time: 106 minutes
Language: English, French with English subtitles
Screenwriter: Alice Winocour
Lead Performers: Angelina Jolie, Anyier Anei, Ella Rumpf, Louis Garrel
Distribution Company: Vertical Entertainment
AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Monique Jones, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Liz Whittemore
Other Movies Opening This Week
Edited by Jennifer Merin
