4.5/5 Clouds of Sils Maria Directors and actors alike love taking on projects about their own jobs. Movies about movies and movies about acting have been around ever since there were people around to make them. From All About Eve, a distant relative of this film, to last year’s Oscar-winning Birdman, your list of options is not a short one. Knowing that the list is stacked, I would like to personally advocate one new film that is sure to go down as a capital-G Great selection from the genre. Housing two classic performances from actresses separated by both age and background, believe me when I say how beautiful of a movie Clouds of Sils Maria is. Maria Enders, played by the great Juliette Binoche, is a veteran actress who has just been offered a role in a revival of the very play that made her a star. Obviously she is hesitant for several reasons, but her most notable reluctance draws from the fact that she has been offered the part of the story’s older woman, not the younger character that made her a star. That part is being given to an on-the-rise starlet named Jo-Ann Ellis (Chloë Grace Moretz), an out of control diva who may remind you of several real-life tabloid stars. | Director: Olivier Assayas Starring: Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloë Grace Moretz Writer: Olivier Assayas |
You may think that the film’s tension draws from these two, but you would be mistaken. This is not just a remake of All About Eve, this is a new beast that dares to dig even farther. Maria’s true friend/confidant/assistant is Valentine, played by Kristen Stewart. The old Twilight actress gives her best performance yet, and she’s given quite a few lately - remember Still Alice. She even picks fun - or maybe takes up for, I’m not quite sure - of her precious tween fan base. There are moments when she threatens to steal the movie away from Binoche, which is saying something. Director/writer Olivier Assayas was probably aware of this, seeing as how her removes her from the film’s third act.
The play in the film is about a young woman, Sigrid, who infatuates and uses an older woman, Helena, for her amusement, before leaving and driving her to suicide. The parallels between the play and Maria’s story offers a great deal of reflections on fame, love, careers, and the grace of women (of all ages). Watching Binoche rehearse, slipping in and out of Helena’s skin, is one of the film’s greatest pleasures. As the film progresses, it grows harder and harder to distinguish one from the other. There are times when Clouds of Sils Maria relies too heavily on these parallels, but it would be a lie to say I was not always entertained and inspired.
When you focus on the technical aspects of the filmmaking, the movie becomes even better. Throughout the film, the scenes are edited together with slow fades. If you think about it, we remember this way, in disconnected short bursts that likewise fade in and out. What’s most remarkable about the fade-out editorial work is not the notion that it is used, but WHEN it’s used. The fades interrupt moments that most other films would have focused on. When Maria steps up to the mic to honor a late hero of hers, instead of framing her face and amping the dialogue, the picture just fades away before she can utter a word. It’s telling. Sils Maria is not about the facade of fame and ceremony, it is about Maria.
The idea of fading is one of the key, driving themes of the movie. Fading beauty, fading popularity, fading ideals, and fading talent are all touched on. I will say one thing before I wrap up. Maybe Maria believes her star is fading, but this is a new awakening for both Binoche and Stewart. Their presence alone is worth your time.
p.s. The score, made up of various classical pieces, complements the movie perfectly.
The play in the film is about a young woman, Sigrid, who infatuates and uses an older woman, Helena, for her amusement, before leaving and driving her to suicide. The parallels between the play and Maria’s story offers a great deal of reflections on fame, love, careers, and the grace of women (of all ages). Watching Binoche rehearse, slipping in and out of Helena’s skin, is one of the film’s greatest pleasures. As the film progresses, it grows harder and harder to distinguish one from the other. There are times when Clouds of Sils Maria relies too heavily on these parallels, but it would be a lie to say I was not always entertained and inspired.
When you focus on the technical aspects of the filmmaking, the movie becomes even better. Throughout the film, the scenes are edited together with slow fades. If you think about it, we remember this way, in disconnected short bursts that likewise fade in and out. What’s most remarkable about the fade-out editorial work is not the notion that it is used, but WHEN it’s used. The fades interrupt moments that most other films would have focused on. When Maria steps up to the mic to honor a late hero of hers, instead of framing her face and amping the dialogue, the picture just fades away before she can utter a word. It’s telling. Sils Maria is not about the facade of fame and ceremony, it is about Maria.
The idea of fading is one of the key, driving themes of the movie. Fading beauty, fading popularity, fading ideals, and fading talent are all touched on. I will say one thing before I wrap up. Maybe Maria believes her star is fading, but this is a new awakening for both Binoche and Stewart. Their presence alone is worth your time.
p.s. The score, made up of various classical pieces, complements the movie perfectly.