TWENTY years ago, Maria (Juliette Binoche) played Sigrid, the 18-year-old protagonist in Wilhelm Melchoir’s lesbian drama “Maloja Snake”. Now, following Melchior’s death, an impresario wants Maria to revive the play, playing Helene, seduced by Sigrid.
The Maloja Snake is in fact a meteorological phenomenon involving the spectacular flow of cloud down a Swiss alpine valley in autumn. A 1924 film of it is an important element in writer/director Olivier Assayas’ film. The other is the trio of performances involving Maria, her young American assistant Val (Kristen Stewart) and Jo-Ann (Chloe Grace Moretz) who will play Sigrid in the revival.
Confronting an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself, Maria faces an uncomfortable and therefore difficult task. Binoche’s performance is a joy to watch. Stewart easily transcends her role in the “Twilight” saga. Moretz deals smoothly with two characters whose lives are anything but.
Don’t allow those complexities to dissuade you from watching and disentangling the relationships between actresses and characters. Assayas’ screenplay follows Val and Maria preparing the latter to play the older Helene. Watching that process unfold is a challenging and rewarding experience.
The writing is strong and perceptive. Not just about a theatrical event, “Clouds of Sils Maria” has its own flavour of that same kind. Adapted for live theatre, it could work well. On screen, its splendid alpine exteriors add great savour to a story portending tensions and crises and following them through development and resolution. The package is intelligent cinema delivering good satisfactions.
At Capitol 6 and Palace Electric
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