CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA written and directed by Olivier Assayas, with Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart and Chloë Grace Moretz. A Mongrel Media release. 123 minutes. Opens Friday (April 10). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNN
Where to watch: Netflix, iTunes
Playing a frumpy and loyal personal assistant to a veteran actor frightened by the prospect of aging, Kristen Stewart holds her own opposite the exquisite Juliette Binoche. As their characters debate art, gossip, career choices and Google, Stewart and Binoche’s palpable intimacy is intensified by how much the dialogue reflects their own work.
In an upcoming play, Binoche’s Maria Enders is cast as an older woman, reminding the icon that her career can only go downhill. She’s starring opposite a young Hollywood starlet (Chlöe Grace Moretz) whose troublesome appearances on TMZ remind us of Stewart’s struggles with fame and scandal. Assayas occasionally gets carried away with the layered, self-reflexive insights, but his leading actors keep every scene anchored, tackling the material with genuine warmth, melancholy and frailty.
Stewart became the first American female actor ever to win a César (France’s answer to the Oscars) for her performance. It’s deserved. She’s a revelation, reminding us that her talent has been eclipsed by Twilight for far too long.
Don’t miss our interview with Juliette Binoche here.
