THE CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA
Friends, 2014, 122 minutes, Colour.
Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloe Grace Moretz, Johnny Flynn, Brady Corbett.
Directed by Oliver Assayas.
This film is a fine opportunity for audiences to see Juliette Binoche and admire her screen presence and acting skills. She has been performing since the mid-1980s, in French films and then internationally. In 1996, she won an Oscar for Best supporting actress in The English Patient. Since then, she has developed her international reputation at home in France and, extensively, abroad. She has also had a stage career on London’s West and won a Tony award on Broadway.
This background is relevant because The Clouds of Sils Maria is about an actress and her career, an international star, reaching middle age, challenged in her career, having to make decisions and face the future. As we watch Juliette Binoche in a most persuasive performance as Maria Enders, many audiences will be thinking about her in real life and her on-screen impact.
While Juliette Binoche won a French Cesar award for the performance, Kristen Stewart won for Best Supporting Actress. Though she was a child actress, appearing with Jodie Foster in Panic Room, her principal reputation rests on her presence as Bella in the Twilight series. This performance takes her well beyond Twilight. She appears as Maria’s personal assistant, the first 20 minutes or so of the film showing her continually on mobile phones, making contacts, making decisions, arranging dates, doing PR work.
The initial situation is a tribute to a playwright who put Maria on stage and on-screen, launching her career. She has been invited to receive an award on behalf of the playwright who does not wish to go – the information coming very quickly that he has died. Maria is somebody who has an instant negative reaction to things, wanting to refuse, thinking something is impossible – but actually then doing it and forgetting what she thought previously and enjoying the process.
Maria and Val decide to go to the house of the playwright and stay in the Swiss Alps, quietly domestic, walking in the mountains, Maria making a decision to perform and play, playing Helene, the nemesis of her original character, Sigrid. During their walks, Val says the lines of the other characters, almost deadpan, yet the experience of watching these rehearsals makes the audience realise that that some parallels between the characters in the play throw light on the relationship between Maria and Val herself.
The suggestion for casting the young Sigrid in the new play is for an actress, Jo-ann, Chloe Grace Moretz, Val and Maria going to Jo-Ann’s? latest film, a superhero blockbuster, in a local cinema, Val really liking the film, the characters, the science fiction issues, while Maria mocks them and laughs at them. Nevertheless, there is a meeting between the two actresses and the project is to go ahead.
It is difficult to write any commentary on the latter part of the film because something dramatically happens without explanation. There is also a complication with rehearsals going head for the play, a personal scandal around Jo-Ann?. But the show must go – with Jo-Ann? behaving towards Maria in a manner reminiscent of Eve in All About Eve. What is Maria to do? She does have a final interview with an enthusiastic young director who pitches a science-fiction script to her – and the film ends with a close-up of Maria’s face, the audience supplying the continuity of her story.
1. The title, the Swiss settings, Sils Maria, the clouds, the clouds looking and acting like a snake, slithering through the mountains?
2. A film about theatre and film, about acting, about careers, over the years, playwrights, directors, tributes, performances? A film star and her age? The up and coming actress? The personal assistant?
3. Juliette Binoche as Maria, Juliette Binoche as a star in real life and career, acting as a star, her character, age, the trajectory of her career, success, acclaim?
4. The opening, the train, travelling with Val, the phone calls, Maria being unwilling, but relying on Val, the news of the death of the playwright? Arrival, the MC meeting, explaining, costume fittings, posing for photos, phone calls, her dislike of the actor from the past, the past with him, acting, the affair, his reaction to her? Going on stage? The tribute to the playwright? His importance to her in her life, as a friend, as writing a play for her?
5. The interruption to the social, the director, his making his pitch to Maria, her reaction to act to the playing and character of Helene? 20 years earlier, her playing Sigrid? Her wanting to stay with that part, yet the difficulties of age? The arguments for her to play Helene? Helene and Sigrid being two aspects of the one person?
6. Maria, her reactions, sometimes glum, saying she would not do things, yet then doing them, enjoying them? A bark worse than her bite?
7. Her reliance on Val, their friendship, her work as PA, all the phone calls on the train, the continued calls? Val having to make decisions,’s PR, the contacts, Maria’s work with Val, its detail, coping?
8. Their friendship, time spent together, ease with one another, the visit to Rose, staying at the home? Domestic scenes? The walks in the mountains? Getting lost, the bus coming home? The walks and Val reading Maria’s lines, rehearsals?
9. The growing significance of the parallel between Sigrid and Helene, Val and Maria, the way that it affected each of their lives?
10. Val, going to see her boyfriend, sick on the road, her return? Possibly pregnant? Breaking with her boyfriend or not?
11. Val and her enthusiasm about Jo-Ann?, watching the film, the superhero, watching in 3D? The discussions afterwards, Val taking it seriously, admiring
Jo-Ann?, accepting blockbusters, her not having an elitist attitude? Maria, reactions, criticisms, laughing at the film? Her interest in Jo-Ann?
12. Val arranging the meeting, Jo-Ann? and Chris, novelist, his betrayal of his wife? The later consequences and her attempted suicide? Jo-Ann? flattering Maria, the discussion of issues, Jo-Ann? and her life story, admiration, quoting the films? The transition to London, the reporters, Jo-Ann? realising she was going to be labelled as a home-wrecker and accepting this?
13. Maria, Val and her enquiries about the snake, having the map, going for the walk, Maria’s attitude, Val disappearing – and no mention of her later? The visuals of the snake, Maria’s comments, the clouds coming through, winding their way through the valley?
14. Maria in London, and new personal assistant, the discussions with Jo-Ann?, the reporters, the scandal, the news of the wife’s attempted suicide, Maria looking at the photos on the?
15. The director, his concern, rear deciding to go for the rehearsals, Jo-Ann? agreeing, his being interviewed and the press focusing on the effect of scandal?
16. The stage set, the office, the glass? Helene’s office, Sigrid collecting the documents, taking them to Helene? Maria’s perspective, wanting Jo-Ann? to spend a few seconds looking at her, Jo-Ann’s? haughtiness, saying that the audience had lost interest in Helene? The All about Eve syndrome?
17. The film director, his pitch to Maria, science fiction, yet more abstract? His explaining things, Maria interested, the director not feeling connected to the
present generation, wanting to make a film outside this? Maria listening, an opportunity for her, the final close-up of her face?
