Sense of suspense and unease haunts this movie

THERE have been quite a few films about an American in Paris but possibly none quite as unnerving as Personal Shopper, a psychological thriller that doubles as a ghost story.

Dark, scary and more than a little implausible, the film hinges on a convincingly edgy performance by Kristen Stewart, an actress previously known for playing the girlfriend of a pretty boy vampire in a romantic fantasy series, but who has since earned the right to be taken seriously.

Here, she is cast as Maureen, a young woman on the verge of emotional collapse, trying to come to terms with the recent death of her twin brother Lewis from a heart condition that she also shares. Pale, perpetually unkempt and suitably moody, Maureen is the very definition of a young expat at home in the City of Lights. But she is in the midst of a personal crisis.