Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?

The film opens with a satirical runway show in Paris featuring models in metallic armor-like outfits designed by Isidore Ducasse. Polly walks with poise, instantly becoming the object of everyone's obsession. The fashion world is depicted as absurd and fetishistic as critics celebrate impractical designs.

A television crew led by Jean-Jacques Gruber begins filming Polly for the show Qui êtes-vous…? The project is designed to probe her inner life, but the interviews reveal more about Gruber's pretensions and the superficial nature of media than about Polly herself. The documentary's early presence reshapes Polly's world as she remains mostly observed rather than understood.

The documentary's segments are intercut with Polly's stylized photo shoots, TV appearances, and social interactions that show the fashion machine from inside. Polly appears emotionally detached, going along with attention while guarding her private thoughts. Voiceovers reveal childlike wonder and questions about authenticity, love, and identity.

Prince Igor, heir to Borodine, becomes obsessed with Polly after seeing her in a fashion magazine and travels to Paris with his entourage to meet and marry her. His romantic fantasy clashes with the artifice of the fashion world. The pursuit is treated with comic absurdity, contrasting his idealism with the spectacle around Polly.

Polly briefly meets Igor at a party; he professes his feelings and interprets her polite laughter as encouragement. She offers no real confession, remaining enigmatic as his sense of destiny deepens. The moment underlines the mismatch between his fantasy and Polly's guarded reality.

As filming continues, Polly is asked pseudo-intellectual questions that she answers with vagueness or irony. The scene satirizes interviews that twist truth into entertainment. Jean-Jacques's attempt to craft a modern Cinderella or tragic icon grows more obvious as style eclipses substance.

Flashbacks and fantasy sequences reveal Polly's working-class Brooklyn origins. The contrast between her past and the surreal couture world around her emphasizes the artificial glamour she inhabits. These memories hint at a longing for grounded identity amid the spectacle.

The documentary finally airs, presented as a slick, edited portrait of Polly. It brands her as a symbol of youth, modernity, and mystery, but it never truly captures her essence. The portrait is shallow, yet it defines public perception more than Polly's own truth.

After the airing, the world around Polly keeps speaking about her as though she isn't there. The people treat her as a concept rather than a person, reinforcing the media machine's detachment. Polly moves through the city with a feeling of invisibility despite being everywhere.

Igor fails in his mission and returns to Borodine after Polly's neighbor seduces him, a comic end to his pursuit. The entourage dissolves its purpose, leaving him to confront disillusionment. The film shifts away from romantic fantasy back toward the impersonal spectacle Polly inhabits.

Polly traverses Paris alone, her expression enigmatic as the city glows around her. The image reinforces her status as both a celebrity icon and an elusive ghost. The moment emphasizes the emptiness of being observed without truly being known.

Jean-Jacques and the crew leave Polly behind in favor of their next subject. Polly remains untethered, a figure shaped by others' desires, still wondering who she really is. The film closes on the idea that the media machine consumes yet never understands its subjects.