French director Olivier Assayas makes films that range greatly in theme and tone, but they usually feature a rigorous attention to women and their stories. His latest movie, Clouds of Sils Maria, is no different: it stars Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, and Chloë Grace Moretz, three actresses at the top of their game, and the trailer promises a thrilling use of their respective talents.
Binoche plays Maria Enders, an aging and acclaimed star; Moretz plays Jo-Ann Ellis, an up-and-coming American actress. Their paths converge in a wonderful twist: both are cast in a staging of Maloja Snake, the play that originally launched Enders’ career and which concerns the volatile rapport between a young girl and an older woman. This time around, Enders is assigned to the latter role, and her burgeoning insecurities begin to fray her not-so-platonic relationship with loyal assistant Valentine (Stewart). It’s a loaded, explosive plot, and I can’t wait to see what Assayas does with it. Sils Maria is out in April.
