A veteran actress comes face-to-face with an uncomfortable reflection of herself when she agrees to take part in a revival of the play that launched her career 20 years earlier.
It gives artistic types an easy ride but it’s a feast of rich writing and great acting. And if you’ve only ever seen Kristen Stewart in Twilight movies, she is in a different class here.
Not the promised insider’s peek but Assayas and Binoche are still a potent combo, nailing the fragility of an actress facing the ageing process.
It’s mature, complex and talky – Bergmanesque.
Juliette Binoche is arrogant, defiant and needy in this slow-burning drama.
Verdict: Pretentious psycho-drama.
It’s an impassioned work whose rough edges are sometimes too noticeable.
Twilight’s Kristen Stewart burnishes her art house credentials in Clouds Of Sils Maria, a tiresomely talky and self-consciously cerebral French film from director Olivier Assayas.
Juliette Binoche is at the peak of her powers in this tale of a middle-aged actress giving way to a new generation.
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Friday May 15, 2015, until Thursday May 28, 2015. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee from Friday May 22, 2015, until Thursday May 28, 2015. More info: www.dca.org.uk