No doubt, the most valuable actor of the new century has been Charlotte Rampling. The actress/model emerged from swingin'-'60s London like a feral Julie Christie, then matured in films such as The Verdict, and re-entered filmgoers' consciousness in 2000 with a spate of indie films including Under the Sand. She's been doing ferociously good work, in English and French, ever since. As much as Angelina Maccarone's portrait of the actress sounds like a Kristen Wiig sketch — in it, Rampling discusses life, love, aging, and creativity with her artist friends — it's an enriching way to spend 90 minutes. Too bad the film doesn't identify Rampling's confreres until the end. Nevertheless, the structure of chapters containing one topic + one friend + clips from one of her films works well. Rampling's physical gifts, unimpeded by plastic surgery in their march through time, are matched by a keen mind and an unapologetic approach to life and work.
