Clouds of Sils Maria
Director: Olivier Assayas
Year Released: 2014
Rating: 2.0
A successful, middle-aged actress (Juliette Binoche), upon discovering an early mentor has passed away, debates whether or not to participate in a revival of a play that helped start her career with a younger (but difficult) actress (Chloë Grace Moretz) ... while her ever-vigilant assistant (Kristen Stewart) helps her learn her lines. The parallel between the Binoche-Stewart relationship and the relationship in the play (between an older and younger woman) is intriguing, but the unsurprising story is a tad drawn out - the title mass of liquid droplets in Switzerland move with more determination than the plot. The "aging actress" storyline seems a tad gauche for the ever-progressive Assayas, but Stewart is a bright spot: the director has managed to get her from running her fingers through her hair and into a role that demands compassion and a bit of maturity.
