Starring: Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloe Grace Moretz
Clouds of Sils Maria
Director: Olivier Assayas
Rating: 4/5
Clouds of Sils Maria is a movie that has been playing successfully on the film festival since it competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival last year... finally, it is hitting the big screen here in the UK.
The movie marks the return of director and writer Olivier Assayas for the first time since Something in the Air back in 2012.
At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders (Binoche) is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then, she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena.
She departs with her assistant (Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria; a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.
From the very start Clouds of Sils Maria is a movie that is both rich in story and characters and explores the passage of time - a topic I happen to think is rather interesting.
This is a movie that is packed with poignant moments as characters looks back over their lives, careers, what they have achieved, and what is left for them. Juliette Binoche is just terrific in the central role of Maria Enders as she faces the reality of not being the beautiful young actress that she once was.
Binoche has always been a terrific actress, and this is another performance where she is just top draw - she plays the vulnerability of her character to perfection.
Some of the film's best moments are when Stewart and Binoche share the screen - two different generations of actresses who are bringing the best out of each other. Since leaving the Twilight franchise behind, Stewart has tackled a wide range of different roles and Clouds of Sils Maria is one of her best.
She has already scooped a Cesar Award for her work and this is set to send her star rocketing even further. Director Olivier Assayas has called Stewart one of the 'best actresses of her generation' and this film really does cement her as a force to be reckoned with.
Clouds of Sils Maria is a quiet and thoughtful movie that explores the women's psyche and how she deals with the passage of time and the effects that it has on her.
Assayas has delivered a tender and rather profound movie that tackles some interesting themes and ideas - all of which are brought to life by terrific performances from a talented cast.