Clouds of Sils Maria

This film is set against a backdrop of beautiful scenery and stunning photography. It starts slowly, like a slithering "snake", yet quickly sneaks up on you as in life itself. I found many metaphors in this artful film which had multi-levels that mysteriously unfold or keep you guessing even past the movie's end. It's an interesting piece of work including the cloud phenomenon which I had never heard of, but the clouds, the characters, and the scripted characters all mimic each other in various ways. Juliette Binoche is flawless as always and bravo to Kristen Stewart for taking on a higher level of acting, one with more authenticity and substance. I am not usually a big fan of hers. The character development changes over time with different perspectives as in the text of the play. At times and in particular in the beginning, it was difficult for me to see where the script ended and reality set in. But I love challenges of subjective analysis. There is a line in the movie about ensuring that the characters are up early in order to not miss the moving phenomenon of the clouds of Sils Maria. I think that line speaks heavily on the passage of time and especially for the lead women who are at different stages and complexities in their lives. You feel the tension, fears, insecurities, boldness, frustration, anger, sadness, narcissism... so many emotions evolving over time. I think you have to be at a certain stage in life to fully appreciate this film. I saw it twice and actually understood it better (subjectively) than the first time. It's different but a solid piece of work !