Iris

“It’s better to be happy than well dressed,” says nonagenarian style maven Iris Apfel. Better yet, why not be both? This documentary by the legendary Albert Maysles is an affectionate tribute to this unlikely icon, a woman whose philosophy of fashion and life happily defies both prettiness and pretense. A former interior designer and textile dealer, Iris became a media phenomenon when her collection of clothes and costume jewelry was featured in a 2005 show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The film follows her as she ranges from museum galas and TV appearances to African shops in Harlem and flea markets in Florida—often accompanied by her devoted husband, Carl, who turns 100 on camera. Maysles, who passed away this March at age 88, is light-handed but unsentimental in his portrayal of old age: Iris’s impressive energy is tempered by the inevitable slowing down and letting go. A less skillful filmmaker might turn Iris, with her saucer-sized spectacles and outlandish assemblages of accessories, into a caricature. Instead, Maysles shows us a character, in every sense of the word. —Juliet Clark