Chic & You: The Film Series • Subway

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Put your best foot forward when we roll out the red carpet for you with the chic-est film series in Chic-ago! A flute of bubbles included. Enter a chance to win a getaway one-night stay at the Sofitel at each screening!

Subway (1985, Luc Besson, In French with English subtitles, 1h44m)

Subway is Luc Besson’s (The Fifth Element, Léon the Professional) ultra cool and stylized romantic caper starring Christopher Lambert as Fred and Isabelle Adjani as Héléna. Fred, a casual thief and cool rebel on the run, literally goes underground to escape his pursuers. He encounters a motley collection of subway denizens, including Héléna, both his would-be lover and victim. Taking place in the hip and surreal universe of the Paris Metro, this film is a hilarious, rocking adventure that never slows down.

Isabelle Adjani, as Héléna, demonstrates the Saint Laurent style of the 1980s: ruffles, gathers, exaggerated volumes, XXL earrings, and voluminous hairstyles. A clever mix of punk and bourgeoisie that was enhanced by the elegance of the couturier.

“Subway oozes style and fashion; from Fred in his tuxedo and platinum blonde hair brandishing a neon tube for illumination in the dim light of the tunnels, to Héléna’s wild spiked punkette hair-do, Euroasian eye makeup, and bellowing black dress.

Luc Besson is a style merchant extraordinaire. He became the ciné vogue du jour, at just twenty-five, with the release of this breezy riff of a tale that slides and floats and drifts and skedaddles from one moment to the next. Actually it is the moments within Subway that make it so irresistible, not the plot itself which is threadbare at best. Besson is more interested in, and excels at, providing arresting images and a distinct rhythm, both in the mise-en-scene and the soundtrack.”
- Cult Projections

Subway was the third-most popular French film in France in 1986 and was nominated for 13 César Awards, winning three of them: Best Actor (Christopher Lambert), Best Production Design (Alexander Trauner), and Best Sound.

About Isabelle Adjani
Not yet 14 years old when she shot her first film, Le Petit Bougnat (1970), it was at the Comédie-Française that Isabelle Adjani rose to fame. Entering at the age of 17, she became the youngest personality to have ever been hired. Adjani has appeared in 30 films since 1970. She holds the record for most César Award for Best Actress (5), which she won for Possession (1981), One Deadly Summer (1983), Camille Claudel (1988), Queen Margot (1994), and Skirt Day (2008). She was also given a double Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award in 1981, as well as two Academy Award nominations for Best Actress. Adjani was made a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2010.

-IMDb

About Veronica Webb
Supermodel. Mommy. Wife. Blogger.
“Own your age. Own your beauty. Own your power.”

Veronica Webb is known for being one of the first African–American supermodels to break barriers in the beauty and fashion industries. She is a recognized authority on beauty through her career as a Model, TV personality, and the founder of the pro-aging blog. Check out her blog here!