Clouds of Sils Maria

Yesterday I saw Clouds of Sils Maria. Interesting and confusing experience. It was my selection of the movie, I suggested it to a friend believing that the film will tell us a conventional  story about actresses. There was nothing conventional about the film, it was not even American which, for some reason, I had expected. Instead it was French-German-Swiss co-production directed by Olivier Assayas, a French director  unknown to me until yesterday. There are definitely too few French films shown in Sydney or I have missed too many of good films in recent years.

During the film I felt very uncomfortable for a couple of reasons. There was so much I found confusing, the story seemed disjointed, events did not follow logical sequence and some mysteries were left without any explanation. I simply did not understand what it was all about. The second reason was that I felt responsible for suggesting such a weird film. And strangely, I was fascinated by the rapid changes of languages spoken, jumps of the action from one stream of thought to another, captivating, wonderful performances of Juliette Binoche and Kristen  Stewart. The third  actress Chloe Grace Moretz did not make much of an impression on me.

                         

The story is about Maria Enders, an acclaimed actress at the peak of her career played by Juliette Binoche. She is offered a role in a play that propelled her career twenty years earlier. Only this time she is to play an older woman. Her old role will be played by a very young actress. To rehearse the role Maria goes to the Alps with her personal assistant Valentine. The interplay between the two actresses is unbelievable and whimsical, the reality is mixed with scenes from the play in such a way that it is not clear what we are watching. This ambiguity has been intended. The personas of the two women intermingle at times. No wonder that at first I was unsettled and no wonder that I was fascinated without being prepared to watch this type of the film. It reminded me of Ingmar Bergman’s films and some scenes between Maria and Valentine of his Persona. Not a light stuff I had expected.

Sils Maria lies in Switzerland, it is absolutely beautiful and I would love to be able to go there one day and see the snake formed by clouds moving between high mountains. I found out that  my recent object of fascination, Herman Hesse, used to spend some of his time there. I did know that he lived in Switzerland for most of his life and that he loved mountain hikes. The film shows the Alps so beautifully and many times that now, I know what he saw during his mountain walks. Apparently Carl Jung and Einstein visited the place as well.

                                   

While, originally, I wanted to see the film as I love Juliette Binoche as an actress, Kristen Stewart was the main attraction for me. When she first appeared in the film, I thought that she is very much like my niece Martyna. The same mannerisms, similar tone of voice, speed of talking and age. That make me perhaps less objective, but I am not sure about it. She got a Cesar for this role and this is France’s highest ac    

This my niece

        

and this is Kristen Stewart, I see similarities. Am I biased?

I was puzzled by the film,  taken somewhere where I did not expect to be and I am so glad that I saw the film. Shall I go and see it again, fully knowing what kind of a film I will be watching?

 I agree with Vanity Fair  that this is “A thoughtful and intelligent meditation on acting, fame and age” .