The actress has had a weird reputation despite or perhaps because of her starring role in Twilight. Though American audiences have had a bit of a sneering attitude towards Stewart outside of her Bella role, she’s become an indie darling. Stewart excelled in Adventureland and delivered a great performance in The Clouds of Sils Maria. For that performance, she won the Cannes César, the first-ever American woman to take home that award.
She’s back at Cannes this year, in a starring role in Woody Allen’s Café Society and in Personal Shopper, her latest collaboration with Sils Maria director Olivier Assayas.
Personal Shopper, in a screening for critics, was booed. The film is a ghost story about a personal shopper, played by Stewart. Variety notes the irony in the audience delivering boos to a ghost movie.
Critics came to the film’s defense on Twitter.
PERSONAL SHOPPER is an apparition of a movie that comes into and out of focus. Riveting, evasive. Kristen Stewart tremendous.
— Jake Coyle (@jakecoyleAP) May 16, 2016
judging by the boos that PERSONAL SHOPPER just got at #Cannes, it might just be one of the best movies ever made. can't wait.
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) May 16, 2016
Still swooning over Olivier Assayas' PERSONAL SHOPPER, which is a true ghost story. But...now I'm afraid to turn out the light.
— Stephanie Zacharek (@szacharek) May 16, 2016
Personal Shopper (~6.3): Not sure if this is a movie, what the movie is, who allowed it to be made, etc., but I'm very happy it happened.
— Blake Williams (@Astrostic) May 16, 2016
Unexpectedly, PERSONAL SHOPPER reminded me of Annie Baker's brilliant play, JOHN. Same sad-scary vibe, same mysterious end, plus texting!
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) May 16, 2016
PERSONAL SHOPPER (A-) Assayas never plays the same game twice. Part spiderweb, part Chanel sheath, all silken shiver. Stewart kills again.
— Guy Lodge (@GuyLodge) May 16, 2016
PERSONAL SHOPPER is a strange mood piece about the world seeming surreal and scary after a sudden loss. Maybe? I loved it. There were boos.
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) May 16, 2016
The film will officially screen at 11 a.m., Cannes time, Tuesday.