Here's a question: If you don't understand a film, is that reason enough to hate it? That may be a tougher question than you first perceive it to be. The answer for me would be no - as long as you're certain the film maker had an intention in mind. Stanley Kubrick was famous for this. His films were so intricate and convoluted at times that you could spend weeks studying the film without coming up with anything conclusive. I suspect 'Personal Shopper' is much the same in that regard. I quickly googled "Personal Shopper explained" and every web page I went to had incredibly lengthy articles that put forth about 5 different theories, none of which they were the least bit certain made any sense. Needless to say, this is not going to be a film for everyone.
I suspect Americans in particular will struggle with this film for two reasons. Firstly, they tend not to like any ambiguity. They like things wrapped up in a nice little package by the end. 'Personal Shopper' most certainly does not do that. Secondly, it could be considered slow. There are very few moments of action in this film and there are quite a few drawn out and wordy scenes (plus a lot of reading of test messages). French films and American films are generally polar opposites in terms of style though, so there's not a lot of surprise there.
I'd have to say overall I enjoyed 'Personal Shopper' without ever loving it. I liked the mysteriousness it possessed. You are never entirely certain the direction the film is going to take next. Also there is some great innovation at times. One particular scene where a phone is taken off Flight Mode and a raft of text messages begin to arrive was particularly impressive. Definitely not a film for everyone, however I would suggest you'll know whether you're going to enjoy it or not by about the 15 minute mark.
I suspect Americans in particular will struggle with this film for two reasons. Firstly, they tend not to like any ambiguity. They like things wrapped up in a nice little package by the end. 'Personal Shopper' most certainly does not do that. Secondly, it could be considered slow. There are very few moments of action in this film and there are quite a few drawn out and wordy scenes (plus a lot of reading of test messages). French films and American films are generally polar opposites in terms of style though, so there's not a lot of surprise there.
I'd have to say overall I enjoyed 'Personal Shopper' without ever loving it. I liked the mysteriousness it possessed. You are never entirely certain the direction the film is going to take next. Also there is some great innovation at times. One particular scene where a phone is taken off Flight Mode and a raft of text messages begin to arrive was particularly impressive. Definitely not a film for everyone, however I would suggest you'll know whether you're going to enjoy it or not by about the 15 minute mark.