Chloe Moretz and Kristen Stewart in the Clouds
Film: Clouds of Sils Maria (2014). Young Actresses: Chloe Moretz, 16, and Kristen Stewart, 23.
Juliette Binoche does her best to carry this movie as Maria, an aging actress who first rose to fame in a play about two female lovers. In the play, a forty-something businesswoman, Helena, hires an intern half her age, Sigrid, and falls in love with her. But Sigrid is selfish and destructive, and even though she enters a relationship with Helena, she never really cares about her, and when she callously dumps the older woman, Helena falls apart. (It's implied that her company goes bankrupt and she kills herself.) Maria launched her career by playing Sigrid onstage and in film, and now, years later, the director of a new stage production wants her to come back to the play, this time as Helena. Maria eventually agrees and spends much of the movie at a remote mountain villa, rehearsing the play with her assistant Val (Kristen).
Maria and Val
In an early scene, Maria initially turns down playing Helena because, she says, "I'm in the middle of a divorce. I feel alone and vulnerable, too vulnerable for that." She also says that "Sigrid was always much more than just a role for me. In a way, I am Sigrid." This is indicative of the movie as a whole. It doesn't really show you things. It tells you things - and sometimes, it tells you every. little. thing. There are occasional scenes where some action actually happens, but most of this movie is just Maria and Val running lines, debating what Sigrid and Helena mean to them, and talking this film to death.
Chloe has a smaller supporting role as JoAnn, a young Hollywood starlet who's playing Sigrid opposite Maria's Helena. JoAnn is Maria's opposite in many ways, a sexy, scandalous "It Girl" who just starred in a blockbuster superhero movie and got arrested for driving drunk. (Val is incredulous that Maria hasn't heard of her before.) Maria watches clips online of her cursing and throwing things at the paparazzi and seems to admire her nerve, but she's also intimidated by seeing JoAnn play Sigrid, a role that she still considers hers. JoAnn, meanwhile, is a good actress even off-stage, pretending to idolize Maria while being subtly bitchy to her at the same time.
Chloe has never exactly been my favorite young actress, but watching her as JoAnn, I really wished that she'd gotten more screentime. JoAnn is a such breath of fresh air when she finally shows up (after spending much of the movie offscreen while Maria and Val hammer out their opinions on her and her career). Like her character Sigrid, she's reckless and flippant, doesn't give a fuck, and most appealing of all, doesn't overanalyze everything like Maria and Val do. Chloe is a decent actress who works well with the material that she's given, but she isn't given that much, and while Kristen is given plenty, some of it is bizarre and even boring.
The scandal-prone JoAnn on a date with her married lover
This movie has been compared to All About Eve, and that's probably what it was aiming for, but Maria doesn't have anywhere near Eve's fast pace or sharp wit. I'd sooner compare it to Binoche's 2005 child-actress movie, Bee Season. Maria isn't as languid as that was, but it does have a similar slow, heavy, "art movie" feel to it. But none of the actresses can be blamed for its faults, and I can understand why Chloe and Kristen wanted to be in this. Despite its flaws, it's still unconventional in a mostly good way, and they're getting to star alongside a well-respected veteran like Binoche. (Kristen has made some smart choices for her post-Twilight projects.) If you're a fan of any of these three actresses, or of the art-movie genre, you should enjoy this.
LINKS
Other reviews of Chloe's films: Laggies (2014).
Awards: Nominated for Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Juliette Binoche does her best to carry this movie as Maria, an aging actress who first rose to fame in a play about two female lovers. In the play, a forty-something businesswoman, Helena, hires an intern half her age, Sigrid, and falls in love with her. But Sigrid is selfish and destructive, and even though she enters a relationship with Helena, she never really cares about her, and when she callously dumps the older woman, Helena falls apart. (It's implied that her company goes bankrupt and she kills herself.) Maria launched her career by playing Sigrid onstage and in film, and now, years later, the director of a new stage production wants her to come back to the play, this time as Helena. Maria eventually agrees and spends much of the movie at a remote mountain villa, rehearsing the play with her assistant Val (Kristen).
Maria and Val
In an early scene, Maria initially turns down playing Helena because, she says, "I'm in the middle of a divorce. I feel alone and vulnerable, too vulnerable for that." She also says that "Sigrid was always much more than just a role for me. In a way, I am Sigrid." This is indicative of the movie as a whole. It doesn't really show you things. It tells you things - and sometimes, it tells you every. little. thing. There are occasional scenes where some action actually happens, but most of this movie is just Maria and Val running lines, debating what Sigrid and Helena mean to them, and talking this film to death.
Chloe has a smaller supporting role as JoAnn, a young Hollywood starlet who's playing Sigrid opposite Maria's Helena. JoAnn is Maria's opposite in many ways, a sexy, scandalous "It Girl" who just starred in a blockbuster superhero movie and got arrested for driving drunk. (Val is incredulous that Maria hasn't heard of her before.) Maria watches clips online of her cursing and throwing things at the paparazzi and seems to admire her nerve, but she's also intimidated by seeing JoAnn play Sigrid, a role that she still considers hers. JoAnn, meanwhile, is a good actress even off-stage, pretending to idolize Maria while being subtly bitchy to her at the same time.
Chloe has never exactly been my favorite young actress, but watching her as JoAnn, I really wished that she'd gotten more screentime. JoAnn is a such breath of fresh air when she finally shows up (after spending much of the movie offscreen while Maria and Val hammer out their opinions on her and her career). Like her character Sigrid, she's reckless and flippant, doesn't give a fuck, and most appealing of all, doesn't overanalyze everything like Maria and Val do. Chloe is a decent actress who works well with the material that she's given, but she isn't given that much, and while Kristen is given plenty, some of it is bizarre and even boring.
The scandal-prone JoAnn on a date with her married lover
This movie has been compared to All About Eve, and that's probably what it was aiming for, but Maria doesn't have anywhere near Eve's fast pace or sharp wit. I'd sooner compare it to Binoche's 2005 child-actress movie, Bee Season. Maria isn't as languid as that was, but it does have a similar slow, heavy, "art movie" feel to it. But none of the actresses can be blamed for its faults, and I can understand why Chloe and Kristen wanted to be in this. Despite its flaws, it's still unconventional in a mostly good way, and they're getting to star alongside a well-respected veteran like Binoche. (Kristen has made some smart choices for her post-Twilight projects.) If you're a fan of any of these three actresses, or of the art-movie genre, you should enjoy this.
LINKS
Other reviews of Chloe's films: Laggies (2014).
Awards: Nominated for Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.