The Clouds of Sils Maria

Twenty years ago, actress Maria Enders made her breakthrough in a play in which she, as a seductive young woman, drives her boss to suicide. Now she is to return to the stage in the same production, but this time in the role of the older woman. Reluctantly, she agrees to the project and retreats to a house in the Alps with her assistant, Valentine … From a seemingly simple setup, Assayas weaves a fascinating tapestry in which reality and role models constantly comment on one another. Set against a backdrop of doubts and the fear of ageing, the film thrives above all on the magnificent chemistry between Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart – almost as magnificent as the natural phenomenon to be marvelled at in a pivotal moment.
(Florian Widegger)