Kristen Stewart is getting Oscar buzz over this film and since I haven’t particularly enjoyed her in most anything else she’s done, I was interested to check this out. Honestly, about 90% of average movie-goers who see this will probably hate this. And I have to admit I think her performance is a bit overrated here but she is much better than usual and proves she has some acting chops.
But truthfully, Juliette Binoche was the real standout here, captivating in every scene. She’s an amazing actress and I wish she were the one getting Oscar buzz. Regardless, this film is an interesting character study with a complex and totally “meta” script that begins to fold in on itself until you aren’t sure when the characters are acting or practicing a scene for the play that’s at the center of the film. It’s all kind of ingenious. Most of the movie-going world would probably categorize this film as “boring” and not make it through the first 15 minutes but if you like great dialogue and acting with symbolism all over the place, this is worth checking out.