Review of Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) by Matt C — 22 Apr 2015

Clouds of Sils Maria is one that benefits from having no expectations beforehand. Given that I hadn't so much as seen a trailer, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into other than its basic setup.

Less than that, actually--I really knew keywords from the plot's synopsis and who the movie stars. It also probably helps that I don't mind slow movies since this is one of the slowest of the year.

It's also one of the best of the year so far, being a beautifully shot and meditative exploration of how art parallels life and how life parallels art. It's a little surprising to see a movie as meta as Clouds of Sils Maria that doesn't bother going w humorous route.

There are some giggles in the characters' realistic interactions, sure, but the movie is definitely a drama. It finds different ways to explore the falling celebrity of Juliette Binoche's character by treating its plot like the other half to its themes instead of a counterpart to its themes.

There are moments in which Binoche's character is shown running lines for the main upcoming play that make it confusing whether her character is truly distraught or just giving a convincing performance within the film's universe.

Kristen Stewart further disproves the myth that she's nothing more than Bella Swan, and Chloe Grace Moretz gives humanity to child star that easily could have become a caricature. The filmmaking compliments this as well, given how each scene ends with a fade to black as if its characters are existing within a stage production that drops the curtain at the end of their conversations.

The story divides itself by title cards--part one, part two, and epilogue--that deny the audience the closure that the characters themselves are striving for. It could easily come off as incomplete or lazy, but it works wonderfully.

The movie isn't without its flaws, though, as its pacing has some issues. It starts off well enough but feels a little lost from the 15-minute mark to the 35-minute mark in where it's trying to go or how long it should take.

The last fifteen minutes are also a bit spotty and despite its strong end note, the film feels like it has false endings. Otherwise, Clouds of Sils Maria is a hidden gem with a sense of beautiful confusion that is likely to stick with me for a while.

8.4/10, great, one thumb up, definitely above average, etc.