More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even at Iris' advanced age, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. IRIS portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art and people are life's sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment. Despite the abundance of glamour in her current life, she continues to embrace the values and work ethic established during a middle-class Queens upbringing during the Great Depression. I feel lucky to be working. If you're lucky enough to do something you love, everything else follows.
A flurry of excitement greets her wherever she goes; throughout the adulation, she is appreciative, patiently bemused, a little cranky and only occasionally tickled.
There is, for all the frivolity of her business, a gravitas and magnetism about Iris Apfel: she's smart and funny and sassy enough for the viewer to see past a life of privilege and walk-in wardrobes.
'Iris" is a joyful look at an aging eccentric and an examination of the playful nature of design and fashion; it likely won't change your life, but will bring a smile to your face.
Iris is an absolute kick, whether or not you care a whit about the world this character is moving through. And she is a character, with her big round glasses and her big opinions.
Maysles simply presents lots of other designers telling Apfel how brilliant she is, their testimony interspersed with pithy accounts of her past achievements.
So much more than meets Iris's bespectacled eyes: looking at self-determination, relentless individuality, devil-may-care creativity, romance, fame and mortality...all peppered throughout with delicious humor.
