Assayas is a very tough auteur for me in many ways- just ultra-ambiguous at all times. He’s intelligent but not overly stylish and certainly you have to work at his films
Binoche and Stewart are fantastic here
Riffs on all above eve
The editing leans heavily on dissolves which gives the film a dream-like quality
The casting of both Stewart and Binoche is very meta. Binoche plays a respected international actress who does serious works with serious directors and the Chloë Grace Moretz character plays a Hollywood, blockbuster, paparazzi and teen star (like Stewart was)
All the characters are portrayed honestly but clearly Assayas sides with Binoche (the serious auteur type) with his hilarious portrayal of a super hero movie here
Smart examination of aging and celebrity—as a metanarrative on how to read art
Not in the top 25 of 2014 but it’s in the archives
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