Clouds of Sils Maria

This is a near two hander for Juliette Binoche as an aging actress and her PA played by Kristen Stewart. the film opens with them en route to Switzerland to accept a prize on  behalf of a director, but he dies before they arrive, and the film segues into the two of them rehearsing for his play whilst living in his former home.

Binoche is, of course brilliant as a star, and her exchanges with Stewart are great insights into the lives of such people. when they are rehearsing for the play, they are also discussing their real lives, and at times it is hard to tell what is happening, but that makes the film more interesting: where does acting end and real life begin?

Stewart is also interesting choice in her promoting of a young trouble making actress to play the role that made Binoche decades earlier, and the exchanges here are also well done. At times it feels a bit forced, with them discussing the minutiae of what is going on, and at times they seem to be in too much of a bubble – I struggled to believe they could go so long without the media, a few other niggles. but overall an intriguing well made film, and a rare one to have such a strong  female cast.

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