Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)

A rather writerly film. Very finally constructed. Though not based on one it concerns and is reminiscent of a play, the action is even divided into two acts with a lengthy epilogue. The story centers on Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) a respected Swiss actress of about 50 years of age, who after the unexpected passing of her dear friend and playwright Wilhelm Melchior, agrees to appear in a London stage revival of the play that launched her career, Maloja Snake. While 30 years ago she had played the scene stealing young ingénue role, now Maria is to play the part of the fading older woman, something of a pathetic character so desperate to cling to what she can no longer hold onto. Ms. Enders is having trouble coping with this change to her self identity both on screen and in real life, and its not long before plot elements of the play start bleeding over and repeating into her reality. This is most present in Maria's relationship to her young personal assistant Valentine (Kristen Stewart) but also intrudes into her interactions with the troubled Hollywood starlet brought in to play her old role (Chloë Grace Moretz). There is some good show business specific critique here, but the themes of aging and psychological displacement of course work broader then that. Though Clouds of Sils Maria is a very different film then Berberian Sound Studio, it does manages the kind of smart, working payoff to its building unease which the latter film never accomplished. Three rather different, but all very fine, female performances in this ****