This is Weird...and I Like It.

This editorial, starring actress Marion Cotillard and a creepy, demented toy soldier was published in the December issue of W Magazine, and I think it's stunning. Strange, mainly because of the creepy, demented toy soldier, but still stunning. My favorite photograph is sadly devoid of a terrifying nutcracker guy, but is still beautiful nonetheless. The folds and details in the fabric photograph amazingly, and the pained expression on her face add to the idea of a trapped woman. The actress covered in fabric almost fades into the red background, which I love. This is simply one beautiful image.

The shots including the "male model" are very intriguing, and I love the setting of the rose garden, but they all lack that something special captured by the above photo. I still think Marion is a great model and I love how she interacts with the other person, but I think the face of the toy soldier is too distracting for me to fully enjoy the photos. They're very good, but not great. 

 

Aaaand, as soon as we eliminate the male model, I like the photos more. I love the visual swish of the rose bush that continues into the rose held by Marion in the first photo, and the clothing in the second is captured brilliantly. The lighting on the pants is fantastic, and it takes the viewer a while to discover the pair of hands coming out of the background to grasp the model. So the moral of this editorial is: eliminate the nightmare inducing male model and fantastic pictures are produced.