Clouds of Sils Maria

Victor Morosoff

Great work from Assayas (and good pairing with IRMA VEP). So many layers of metafiction.

Ana Sousa

I actually loved Kristen Stewart here. And for me to say that is unexpected. But her connection with Binoche is undeniable and her lines and her said "non-existent facial expressions" are wonderfully delivered here. That scene in the casino cracked me up. Oh and also, I need the sound of Binoche's laugh as my ringtone.

James Mackin

Kristen Stewart was the standout here, but everything about this film was amazing.

thivai abhor

I spent the night dreaming about this film. Where do I start: the dynamic discursive duel between Maria (Binoche) and Valentine (Stewart); the stunning landscapes/vistas; the brilliant script; the intertwining of reality/fiction and identity/memory within this narrative; the play of time/perspective; Olivier Assayas adds to an already impressive oeuvre.

Duncan Gray

The old battle between Assayas the fluid, intelligent director and Assayas the clunky, on-the-nose writer, observing the world through discourse from a distant and privileged bubble. But I love that he loves women, particularly actresses—Binoche deserves the showcase she's given, and I'm a sucker for psychodramas where women characters double and merge. The ideas are strong and felt, even if the delivery is academic.

Lights in the Dusk

A deconstruction of Petra von Kant, a Persona-like meta-drama about the difficult relationship between women, a reiteration of Irma Vep's anti Hollywood rhetoric (complete with a faux comic book-style blockbuster), a film about the "old wave" replaced by the new, a film about filmmaking (with several personifications of the director) and finally a Green Ray-like documentation of a natural phenomenon. A masterpiece.

Eléonore Tain

Beautiful movie about an ambiguous relationship between two women. Two great actresses.

Warren Spratley

Time, metaphysics, different ways of "passing," this Assayas surprised me. The opening shaky train shot of K.S. establishes an immediate sense of instability, an instability which becomes more conciliated once the self-reflective inquiries become more pronounced. At one point, Assayas almost out-Kiarostamis Kiarostami, one of the great homages in recent cinema. Textural layering, spiritual mystery, & that last shot!