THOUGHTS ON CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

Olivier Assayas’ most recent achievement tells the story of a famous actress, Maria Enders (played by Juliette Binoche) cast in a play in which she has already acted twenty years previously. However this time, her part has changed. She is cast to play the part of the older woman, rather than the part of the young twenty year old character.

The play, Maloja Snake, is about a woman who falls in love with her young assistant. The two begin a compassionate, and arduous affair. The young assistant takes control of their relationship, and ends up leaving her boss for a better job. The younger part is interpreted by Chloë Grace Moretz who plays the part of a famous up-and-coming provocative star, Jo-Ann Ellis. She is subject to many tabloid scandals. This does not impress Maria who spends a large portion of the film reflecting and questioning whether or not she should really take the job. She is unable to leave it, the conditions of her contract are too strict, and withdrawing would be too costly. Maria rehearses her part with her loyal assistant Valentine (Kristen Stewart), and frequently questions her identity as well as her status as an actress. 

These sequences all take place against the backdrop of the picturesque mountains of Zurich where Maria and Valentine are offered to stay at the home of Maria’s recently deceased friend, Wilhelm Melchior, who is also the author of Maloja Snake.

The mise-en-abime, the play in a film effect (which is also explored in Assayas’ Irma Vep, as a film in a film) takes on a much wider and epic scale, quite unlike any other Assayas’ movies. Clouds of Sils Maria does not take on the same independent feel that some of Assayas’ earlier works seem to have (Summer Hours first comes to mind for example). The film is a combination of Mainstream and Independent, and embarks the viewer on a scenic journey, as well as dense retrospective on the identity of its characters. Maria and Valentine revise, and repeat the lines for the play. Their emotion seems genuine and raw. The rehearsals take on such a real feel that the audience is confused, and tricked into thinking whether or not the characters are rehearsing for the play or in fact reciting their actual lines for the film. Assayas blends the lines between the reality of the play rehearsal, and the actors acting for the film.

Juliette Binoche plays the part of the older character and her young assistant Valentine, keeps her in touch with the modern world. The two worlds collide with one another. The classical music blaring loud throughout somehow blends naturally with the electronic music over the view of the mountains. The film also shows the impact of technology not only intruding the life of the individuals but also as a key to their development. Maria contradicts herself when she first conveys that the “internet tells lies,” and goes on to adopt quite a voyeuristic behavior when she constantly looks up pictures and Youtube videos of Jo-Ann Elis on her Ipad. Jo-Ann’s videos show her in her most vulnerable state, where she gets arrested and is ridiculed during interviews on the news. Maria’s character is inevitably drawn to technology as a means of comforting and confirming her negative judgment towards Jo-Ann.

The roles of the characters are duplicated between their role in Maloja Snake and their roles in Clouds of Sils Maria. This duplication is often conveyed through the  numerous reflections of the characters on the windows, the cars and mirrors. Nature is also reflected in direct juxtaposition with the characters. One of the sequences that come to mind is when the characters are being driven, and the clouds are reflected on the windows of the car. The images of the clouds and the protagonists directly overlap one another. 

The overwhelming presence of the clouds highlight the power of nature balanced with the characters in the film. The cars not only direct the characters from one location to the other, but the emphasis is given to the scenery of the journey as if it were directly attributed to the journey of the protagonist. The visual effect takes over the presence of the characters who seem superimposed against the clouds, as if they were floating directly into them. The scene takes on a more abstract and celestial tone as if the characters were removed from the reality of the scene. The audience is encouraged to not only think outside the box, but to simply allow themselves to dream in harmony with the elements they are exposed to.  

Binoche fits the part perfectly. Some might argue that the ending of the film is open ended because there is not much of a denouement. However, Binoche’s character sits assertively on her office chair, on stage, as the curtain is about to come up. She lights a cigarette and reveals a brief tension in her jaw, as if she were smiling and contemplating her future. The cigarette might expose a sense of vulnerability but the overall sense we get from her character is acceptance of her situation. This is refreshing to say the least. Maps to the Stars (2014, David Cronenberg) is also a modern interpretation of the concept of the the aging celebrity. However, it is much more explicit and clear that Havana Segrand (played by Julianne Moore) is defeated by her own pride and contempt, when she is murdered by her assistant Agatha Weiss (played by Mia Wasikowska) at the end of the film. (SPOILER Agatha murders Havana because she couldn’t stop herself from sleeping with Agatha’s lover as a way to prove to herself that although she is older, she is also still attractive) Binoche’s character in Clouds of Sils Maria reveals nothing of the sort. She is in no way defeated by her ego as Moore’s character was in Maps to the Stars.

One could write a whole dissertation about this 124 min long feature (this could seem relatively long considering that most of the scenes are centered around two - four protagonists). Assayas has achieved a rich celebration of themes previously explored in his films. However, he is in no way “recycling,” but rather perfecting and extending those themes through the challenging use of the lost in translation feel through an all-international cast (French, American, Swiss- German). Clouds of Sils Maria also plays with the diversity of genres. While watching the Star-Trekesque Sci-Fi sequence with Chloe Grace Morretz who appears in an extract of her latest blockbuster, one is instantly reminded of the dream sequence in Irma Vep  when Maggie Cheung after having stolen the necklace, escapes on a rainy rooftop in Paris wearing her leather suit. 

Assayas merges the universe of the film in a film with the reality of the film. The association is clever until the very end, and somehow Assayas manages to find resolution within this dense story. He does so by presenting the unexpected, another demonstration of his great strength as a writer and director.

Still Alice

Still Alice is a film based on the novel by Lisa Genova, directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland. It tells the story of a former linguistic teacher from Columbia, who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of fifty.

Alice’s family forms a rather stereotypically perfect American family portrait. Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), and John Howland (Alec Baldwin) have two exemplary children, Anna (Kate Bosworth), a lawyer, Tom (Hunter Parrish), a doctor, and the artistic rebellious daughter, Lydia, who longs to become an actress and is played by Kristen Stewart. They form a pleasant cast, very much in tune with one another. Alice is therefore surrounded by a supportive family, and the film mostly takes place at her home near the campus of Colombia in NYC, and in part at a vacation home near the beach. 

Aesthetically speaking, the film has nothing we haven’t already seen:  still establishing shots, several steady-cam movements, and anticipated shot-reaction-shots. The picture has a familiar brightness, and depth of field, which we have grown accustomed to seeing through the lenses of DSLR cameras. The film could have been made for television, as it definitely provokes the viewer and emphasizes the emotion through the build up of the music, and the linear narrative. However, those technical aspects do not take over the essence of the film. What remains central and real is how the film treats the subject of the disease.

The film is blunt in showing the development of the disease, and every single detail in the plot counts. From a Dove soap bottle found in the fridge to subtle hints of OCD on her phone, we understand that Alice is holding on to what she can, and the details of her life at home is all she has to hang on to.

Julianne Moore’s performance is outstandingly convincing in its subtlety. Her character is restrained and smart. She breaks down once or twice when she is diagnosed with the disease, but her character stays strong. She struggles to keep control, and adapts rather skillfully to her illness (an example that comes to mind is she uses her phone every day to practice her memory, and answers a list of questions she had written to herself at the earlier stage of the disease).

Alice’s actions are not heroically embellished, because the reality of the disease is impossible to control. Her character resists until the disease takes over. We see her vanish, and she regresses to a childlike behavior. 

Alice is “still Alice” physically, but mentally, she is disappearing: “I am not suffering, I am struggling, struggling to be a part of things, to stay connected to who I once was.” The film is not victimizing in any way, but the bottom line and tone of the film is pure sadness. Alice’s disease makes her unaware of who she is, and one cannot help but feel the deepest sense of pity for her. 

One of the scenes I am constantly drawn to as I recall the film, is when Alice is sitting on the couch. This is near the end of the film, and the state of her disease has become critical. Alice sits alone in her living room and stares into the dining room ahead . The shot focuses on her person through a medium wide shot of her. I remember the look of innocence in her gaze. The emptiness of the room surrounding her emphasizes her solitude.   

Her children and husband are conversing in the dining room opposite where Alice is sitting.  They speak of Alice in the third person, as if she weren’t there. They discuss placing her in an institution. The camera falls back on Alice, but this time at a greater distance from the previous shot of her. The angle is placed from the point of view of the children and the husband. Alice has a faint smile on her pale face, as if lost and confused. Her silhouette reminds us of a ghostlike figure floating in the distance.

I do not recall if the camera is in motion and pans closer into Alice at this point. If it does, the movement is discreet. The image of her sitting alone on the couch is photographed in my mind like a symbol of pure vulnerability and solitude. 

Alice is a person and given her past, she has built her identity.  Yet, she seems empty now, and void of that identity.

There is no use denying the truth: bring a box of tissues or a generous shoulder to cry on. However, once the tears have been shed, embrace the pain in your heart. Your life could be taken at any time, but your strength is your awareness. The London Evening Standard said the film “affirms life.” Take the tissues, venture through the film, and venture out. Alice repeats, “living the moment,” a message that should be taken to heart  by all of us out there, alive inside and out.

Citizenfour

Why ?

Citizenfour is a documentary about Edward Snowden and the ugly truth within the National Security Agency. Laura Poitras denounces the story through Edward Snowden’s testimony: the power that the NSA has to access any individual’s personal information at all times.

At the beginning of the film, Laura Poitras establishes her topic by presenting us an anonymous encrypted email she has received from no other than ex-NSA computer wiz: Edward Snowden himself. The latter is willing to divulge the truth about NSA’s excessive infringement of personal data. Poitras and Guardian reporter, Glenn Greenwald fly to Hong Kong to meet him.

Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald

The film is skillfully built giving emphasis not only to Snowden but also addressing a global  argument through political speeches, footage of news broadcasts, and UN discussions. The diversity of locations (Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Hong Kong…) reinforces the universality of the NSA and its global issues.

One could feel distanced by the Documentary genre, as Poitras develops her story with a considerable amount of structure, as if it were a fiction or a thriller. We first witness an introduction to her characters, followed by their twists and turns, and the denouement through political denunciation. However, the problem persists and is occurring. The film ends with a hopeful tone, with Snowden still remaining in exile in Moscow, and Greenwald exposing his next plan of action. The twist is worthy of a Fincher or Nolan ending, with a feeling of ongoing movement despite the end of the film. Citizenfour ends on a active high note, with an Inception (Christopher Nolan) feel, (but less confusing) the top is still spinning, and the future uncertain but still actively running.

There is also a significant progression of Snowden’s character. The development of his case, and personality reminds us of a film noir hero. The focus is closely centered on him, as we see him sitting on his bed in the Hong Kong Hotel. The audience is brought closer to him through this intimate setting. We witness his emotion change as the case progresses.

Snowden speaks with ease at first. We see his genuine personality, ready to do the world justice, and willing to take in the consequences. At first, he speaks with such courage and confidence, as though his dialogue was written in a screenplay.

On a broader spectrum, Citizenfour exposes us to the degraded notion given to “freedom” in the world we live in today.  This is not only shown through the government’s access to all our day to day information but also to it’s association with the term “privacy.” This underlines a certain irony and misdirection to the meaning given to the word today. We used to think of freedom as a state of being and a freedom of speech. However by associating it to the term “privacy,” “freedom” takes on a whole other meaning: one of secrecy and independence.

Citizenfour is shocking and frightening because it tells the truth. Its greatness and impact makes it difficult to believe. Deep down in ourselves, there is a voice of hope wishing for a scam. Orson Welles in his broadcast of War of the World spoke of the world as, “a world being watched intelligently by a world greater than man.” The Invasion from Mars is being replaced by the NSA. The fairytale is real now. The NSA has the power “greater than man,” -– “man” is weak once again, but for real this time.