Movies in which actors and actresses play actors and actresses are a favorite for both Hollywood and non-Hollywood filmmakers. Francois Truffaut, Alfred Hitchcock, and Billy Wilder all made at least one film that had their leads taking on parts that reflected a meta-awareness of the acting business. Director Oliver Assayas (Paris, je t’aime) joins that pantheon of greats with his new film Clouds of Sils Maria, and today we have the latest international trailer.
In Clouds of Sils Maria, Juliette Binoche takes on the part of Maria Enders, an aging actress tapped to appear in a new version of a play that made her famous – only this time she’ll be playing the part of the elder woman who becomes obsessed with a younger one. Fact and fiction begin to meld together when a Hollywood starlet (Chloe Grace Moretz) takes on the part of the younger woman that, twenty years ago, made Maria famous. Maria is faced with a reflection of herself in the other actress, while at the same time grappling with her own aging process and her relationship with her assistant, played by Kristen Stewart.
The latest trailer for Clouds of Sils Maria showcases our three leads to excellent effect, highlighting the inherent differences in both their on-screen and off-screen personas. While it’s difficult to judge the real potential of a film from its trailer (not that we don’t try), Clouds of Sils Maria is at least visually impressive, and seems to harbor an excellent cast. Hopefully that can be sustained throughout the film without falling into your typical age vs. youth dynamic that has been done so many times.
Clouds of Sils Maria premiered at Cannes, but as yet has no U.S. release date. You can check out the new international trailer below and see if you think this is one to wait for.
