2018 Cannes Marathon: Personal Shopper

(Co-Winner of the Best Director Prize to Olivier Assayas (w/ Cristian Mungui for Graduation) at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival)

Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, Personal Shopper is the story of an American woman living in Paris where she works as a shopper for a celebrity as she copes with the loss of her twin brother as she believes his spirit is around her. The film explores a woman dealing with loss as she becomes entranced by her surroundings as well as the world of the supernatural. Starring Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger, Sigrid Bouaziz, Anders Danielsen Lie, Ty Olwin, Hammou Graia, Nora von Waldstatten, Benjamin Biolay, Audrey Bonnet, and Pascal Rambert. Personal Shopper is an eerie and mesmerizing film from Olivier Assayas.

The film follows an American woman who works as a personal shopper for a major celebrity as she also tries to reach out to the spirit of her recently-deceased twin brother where she later gets mysterious messages and such. It’s a film that plays into a woman who had been a medium with spirits is trying to make contact with her brother who had died in France as she also deals with the demanding job of shopping for this egotistical celebrity. Olivier Assayas’ screenplay follows the world that Maureen Cartwright (Kristen Stewart) who would live and work in Paris as she wants to find answers about her brother’s death where she turns to her brother’s former girlfriend Lara (Sigrid Bouaziz) for help as Maureen would briefly stay at her brother’s home to try and contact his spirit.

Yet, she would encounter something strange as it would eventually interfere with her work to shop for this esteemed yet egotistical celebrity in Kyra (Nora von Waldstatten) who is about to attend a fashion show in Milan as Maureen has to collect various clothes by prestigious designers and jewelry in Paris and London. During this time, Maureen copes with her loneliness and loss as well as wondering if her brother’s spirit is lurking around her or is someone playing with her. It all raises question into Maureen’s search about the idea of the afterlife as she seeks answers from all sorts of things including the artwork of Hilma af Klint to a film about Victor Hugo’s fascination with the afterlife.

Assayas’ direction does bear bits of style in some of the compositions as well as scenes involving the supernatural that Maureen would encounter. Much of the film is shot in a simplistic approach to play into Maureen’s encounter with spirits as Assayas emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots to play into Maureen’s sense of loss and bewilderment. Shot largely in Paris with additional shooting in London and Oman with the latter being the film’s finale relating to Maureen’s spiritual journey. Assayas uses Paris as a place where this collision of high fashion and spiritualism occurs in Maureen’s world as there are some wide shots in the film though Assayas avoids many of the city’s famed landmarks. Much of Assayas’ compositions are shot with hand-held cameras though they’re carefully controlled to play into the drama without the need to shake the camera for something suspenseful. Even through the text messages that Maureen would receive as it add to the mystery of her journey as well as this sense of longing in a scene where she tries on clothes she bought for Kyra. Assayas’ direction would play into the idea of spirits lurking around as he remains ambiguous right to the end about what Maureen has encountered and whether it is real or her own imagination. Overall, Assayas crafts a haunting yet gripping film about a young woman’s need to connect with the spirit of her late twin brother.

Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it emphasizes on low-key, greyish colors for much of the film with few bits of color in a few scenes as it really plays into the sense of loss that Maureen is dealing with. Editor Marion Monnier does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and transitional fade-outs to play into the drama and some of the film’s suspenseful moments. Production designer Francois-Renaud Lebarthe and set decorator Martin Kurel do fantastic work with the look of the home Maureen’s brother was living in as well as her own apartment and the lavish apartment that Kyra lives at. Costume designer Jurgen Doering does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual for the clothes that Maureen and her friends wear while the designer clothing from Chanel and other designers are definitely gorgeous.

Hairstylist Morgane Bernhard and makeup artist Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen do terrific work with the look of Maureen as it’s simpler in comparison to the more glamorous Kyra who always has to look great. Visual effects supervisors Anthony Lestremau and Jeremy Maillard do amazing work with the visual effects as it is largely minimal for the look of a spiritual being in a key sequence and other smaller moments in the film. The sound work of Nicolas Cantin, Olivier Goinard, and Nicolas Moreau do superb work with the sound as it play into some of the locations that Maureen goes to as well as some of the film’s mysterious moments as it relates to the spirits. The film’s music soundtrack mainly consists of a mixture of classical and ambient pieces by Jordi Savall with Hesperion Xx and Andrew Lawrence-King along with cuts by Anna Von Hausswolff, Guillermo Portables, and Marlene Dietrich.

The casting by Antoinette Boulat is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Benjamin Biolay as an actor playing Victor Hugo in a film, Pascal Rambert and Audrey Bonnet as a couple of Lara’s friends who are also mediums, Ty Olwin as Maureen’s friend Gary who is in Oman studying, Anders Danielsen Lie as a friend of Lewis named Erwin, and Nora von Waldstatten as the egotistical celebrity Kyra. Sigrid Bouaziz is fantastic as Lewis’ girlfriend Lara who wants some answers as she helps Maureen out in contacting a medium. Lars Eidinger is excellent as Ingo as Kyra’s lover that Maureen meets early in the film as he is a mysterious figure that Maureen becomes uncomfortable with. Finally, there’s Kristen Stewart in a phenomenal performance as Maureen Cartwright as a young woman who works as a personal shopper for a major celebrity as she is also a medium that is trying to contact her recently-deceased twin brother as it’s a restrained and somber performance from Stewart that showcases a woman dealing with loss as well as uncertainty into what she is encountering as it is a career-defining performance from Stewart.

Personal Shopper is a sensational film from Olivier Assayas that features a great performance from Kristen Stewart. Along with its ensemble cast, low-key direction, and a chilling story of loss and the need to find life after death, it’s an unconventional suspense-drama that play into a woman’s need for answers as well as juggling the world of high fashion as she tries to find herself. In the end, Personal Shopper is a spectacular film from Olivier Assayas.

Olivier Assayas Films: (Disorder) – (Winter’s Child) – (Paris Awakens) – (A New Life) – (Cold Water) – (Irma Vep) – (Late August, Early September) – (Sentimental Destinies) – (Demonlover) – Clean (2004 film) - (Boarding Gate) – Summer Hours - Carlos - (Something in the Air) – Clouds of Sils Maria

© thevoid99 2018

Hitchcock/Truffaut

Based on the book by Francois Truffaut, Hitchcock/Truffaut is a documentary film about the interview with filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock by Truffaut where the two talked about Hitchcock’s own films during this eight-day interview that Truffaut would make into a book. Directed by Kent Jones and screenplay by Jones and Serge Toubiana, the film is about the meeting that took place that offices of Universal Studios in 1962 where several contemporary filmmakers talk about that meeting and what it meant for the world of cinema. The result is a mesmerizing film from Kent Jones.

In 1962, French filmmaker Francois Truffaut went to Hollywood with a translator to meet the famed British filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock following a series of corresponding letters where Truffaut praised the works of Hitchcock. The meeting that took eight days in the offices of Universal Studios where Truffaut would talk to Hitchcock about all of his films that would later become a book about Hitchcock and his work as a filmmaker. The film isn’t just about the meeting between the two filmmakers but also the book itself as it would be seen as something very influential to other filmmakers who would view cinema as a serious form of art and present Hitchcock as one of the great artists of the 20th Century.

The documentary would inter-cut not just footage from the many films of Hitchcock with some by Truffaut but also pictures of the meeting and interviews of filmmakers who were influenced by the book. From old-school masters such as Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader, and Peter Bogdanovich to contemporary filmmakers like David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, James Gray, Olivier Assayas, Arnaud Desplachin, and Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the filmmakers talk about the importance of Truffaut and several other French New Wave filmmakers who didn’t just cite Hitchcock as an influence but also talk about the depth of his work as a filmmaker as they felt audiences didn’t take his craft very seriously and only saw them as just suspenseful entertainment.

The film also features many audio tidbits of the meeting between Hitchcock and Truffaut as well as stories of a friendship that built where the two gave advice to each other about what to do with their respective films. Kent Jones also play into the different periods of Hitchcock’s career and how his work in silent films would do a lot for the films he would make in the emergence of sound. With the aid of editor Rachel Reichman in assembling some of the film footage and some rare footage of Hitchcock working on a film set. Kent showcases the artistry of what Hitchcock was doing with the filmmakers commenting on some of the things he was doing as well as provide discussions on some of his great films like Psycho and Vertigo.

With the aid of cinematographers Nick Bentgen, Daniel Cowen, Eric Gautier, Mihai Malaimare Jr., Lisa Rinzler, and Genta Tamaki as well as a team of sound mixers, many of the interviews are straightforward as it allows the filmmakers to showcase not just their love for Hitchcock and Truffaut but also delve into their reason into Hitchcock’s stature as a prominent artist. The American release features narration by Bob Balaban to discuss many of the aspects of the meeting between Hitchcock and Truffaut while the French release is narrated by Mathieu Almaric. The film’s music by Jeremiah Bornfield is superb for its mixture of orchestral music that play into the events of the meetings while music of the music soundtrack comes from the various films by Hitchcock and Truffaut.

Hitchcock/Truffaut is a remarkable film from Kent Jones. Not only is this a film that fans of cinema would want to see but it also displays something for casual audiences about the power of cinema and how a filmmaker wants to celebrate the work of another by showing the world of that man’s brilliance. In the end, Hitchcock/Truffaut is an incredible film from Kent Jones.

© thevoid99 2016

Clouds of Sils Maria

Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, Clouds of Sils Maria is the story of a famous film actress who is asked to star in the play that launched her career but in a different role as she copes with aging and the death of an old mentor. The film is an exploration of a woman who tries to figure out the ways of a new world as she contends with a young actress who is known for being notorious while is accompanied by a loyal assistant who tries to help her. Starring Juliette Binoche, Kirsten Stewart, and Chloe Grace Moretz. Clouds of Sils Maria is a compelling yet mesmerizing film from Olivier Assayas.

The film revolves around a famous film actress who goes to Switzerland to pay tribute to her mentor as she learns he had just died as the play that launched her career is being remade by a new director who asks her to play the older woman. It’s a film that isn’t just about the art of acting but also the world of aging as the actress Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is playing the role of a character that she has no relations to as she also learns that the character that she played many years ago is being played by a talented but troubled young actress. Aiding Enders into preparing the role is her loyal assistant Valentine (Kristen Stewart) where the two stay at the home of Maria’s late mentor as the lines begin to blur into the role that Maria is trying to play with Valentine reading lines as the character that made Maria famous.

Olivier Assayas’ screenplay doesn’t just explore Maria’s resistance into playing the role of the older woman Helena who falls in love and becomes destroyed by this young woman named Sigrid. It’s also in the fact that Maria once played Sigrid which was written by her mentor and it was the role that gave her the big break when she was just 18. Still mourning over the loss of the man who gave her the break and the offer to play Helena in that play doesn’t just put Maria in emotional and mental turmoil as she is aghast that the young actress Jo-Ann Ellis (Chloe Grace Moretz) is to play Sigrid. While Valentine finds Jo-Ann to be very interesting, Maria isn’t so sure as she and Valentine spend much of their time in the Alps hiking and reciting lines for play where Valentine offers her own interpretation of the play as things do intensify. Notably as Maria ponders about who she is and is she becoming Helena.

Assayas’ direction is very simple in terms of its compositions as he shoots the film largely in Switzerland where much of the story takes place in Sils Maria near the Alps. Assayas definitely makes Sils Maria and other locations in Switzerland and places in Germany characters in the film yet it does play into the wonder that is Sils Maria. Assayas does go for a lot of great wide shots of those locations while he keeps things very intimate with its usage of close-ups and medium shots as it relates to the relationship between Maria and Valentine. Assayas does bring in elements of humor as it relates to Maria’s own reaction towards Jo-Ann and her films while there’s also some commentary that these young starlets aren’t exactly what they seem. Even when Maria and Valentine eventually meet Jo-Ann in the third act as Assayas’ camera becomes more intimate with its dolly-tracking shots as it reveals the different kind of youth that Jo-Ann is. It does play into the world of aging but also reasons into why Maria has trouble relating to the character she is to play which adds a complexity to her relationship with Valentine. Overall, Assayas crafts a very intriguing yet evocative film about an actress dealing with death and aging.

Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography with its low-key yet stylish look for the scenes set at night to the more naturalistic look of the daytime exterior scenes including some of the moments at the Alps. Editor Marion Monnier does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish use of dissolves and jump-cuts to play into the drama along with some inspired use of transitional fade-outs. Production designer Francois-Renaud Labarthe, with set decorator Gabriele Wolff and art director Gabriella Ausonio, does fantastic work with the hotels that Maria and Valentine would stay in along with the home of Maria‘s mentor.

Costume designer Jurgen Doering does nice work with the costumes as it features mostly casual clothing with the exception of the Chanel dresses that Maria would wear early in the film. Visual effects supervisor Mikael Tanguy does terrific work for some of the minimal visual effects that involve the mysterious clouds that loom over the Alps. Sound editor Nicholas Moreau does superb work with the sound as it’s very sparse in its intimate setting along with low-key moments for the locations in the Alps near Sils Maria. The film’s music soundtrack largely features classical pieces by Georg Friedrich Handel and Johann Pachelbel as well as a brooding electro-rock piece from Primal Scream.

The casting by Antoinette Boulat and Anja Dihrberg is wonderful as it features notable small roles from Brady Corbet as a young filmmaker wanting to work with Maria, Benoit Peverelli as a publicist for Maria in Zurich, Caroline de Maigret as a Chanel press agent, Nora von Waldstatten as Jo-Ann’s co-star in a sci-fi movie, and Angela Winkler as the widow of Maria’s mentor who would reveal to her about the home and what happened to her husband. Hanns Zischler is terrific as an actor Maria worked with in the past whom she disliked as he tries to flirt with her upon their reunion to pay tribute to their mentor. Johnny Flynn is excellent as a famous figure whom Jo-Ann is dating in the film’s third act as it would cause some trouble into their lives. Lars Eidinger is superb as the director Klaus Diesterweg as a famous theater director who wants to remake the play that Maria was famous for as he wanted Maria to play the role of the older woman Helena.

Chloe Grace Moretz is fantastic as Jo-Ann Ellis as this young actress who is a magnet for trouble as she is asked to play the role that Maria was famous for as she copes with her fame and ideas of the play where Moretz brings that young naiveté to her performance as well as someone who is actually more aware of her dysfunction as a person and as a celebrity. Kristen Stewart is amazing as Valentine as Maria’s personal assistant who accompanies her to Switzerland and helps her with the play as Stewart brings some humor to the role as well as someone who isn’t afraid to say things as it’s a very reserved and engaging performance from Stewart who does get to provide some scene-stealing moments. Finally, there’s Juliette Binoche in a remarkable performance as Maria Enders as this famous film star coping with the loss of her mentor and aging as she has trouble trying to play a role that was the opposite of the character that made her famous as it’s a performance where Binoche brings some anguish and humility as well as elements of humor as it’s one of her finest performances to date.

Clouds of Sils Maria is a phenomenal film from Olivier Assayas that features incredible performances from Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, and Chloe Grace Moretz. It’s a film that explores the world of art as well as an actress coming to terms with getting older and be forced to face realizations about herself. In the end, Clouds of Sils Maria is a sensational film from Olivier Assayas.

Olivier Assayas Film: (Disorder) - (Winter’s Child) - (Paris Awakens) - (A New Life) - (Cold Water) - (Irma Vep) - (Late August, Early September) - (Sentimental Destinies) - (Demonlover) - Clean - (Boarding Gate) - Summer Hours - Carlos - (Something in the Air) - Personal Shopper

© thevoid99 2015

Summer Hours

Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, L’Heure d’ete (Summer Hours) is the story of a group of adult siblings pondering what to do with their childhood home following the death of their mother. The film is an exploration into family and nostalgia as well as taking the next step in the aftermath of death. Starring Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jeremie Renier, and Edith Scob. L’Heure d’ete is a ravishing yet captivating film from Olivier Assayas.

The film is about the life of a family that involves this woman who has been taking care of the artwork of her uncle as she tells her eldest son about what to do with her estate and the artwork once she passes away. When she does pass, three siblings have to figure out what to do with their mother’s home as well as all of the artwork she’s been taking care of. Yet, two of the younger siblings have news that would force their eldest brother to make drastic decisions about what to do with the home as it would involve a lot of uneasy decisions. Some of which would see that some of the artwork and objects would be available for the world to see but would also leave some sad reminders of the world they once lived in.

Olivier Assayas’ screenplay does have play to a traditional structure where the first act is about the family’s time with their mother Helene (Edith Scob) as they visit her in this beautiful summer home with their children who definitely love the place. Yet, Helene knows she will pass on soon as she leaves a lot of the responsibility to her eldest son Frederic (Charles Berling) who is definitely more attached to the home as he is also the one sibling who still lives in France. While his younger siblings in Adrienne (Juliette Binoche) and Jeremie (Jeremie Renier) also have feelings for the house. They have no use for it as both of them live outside of France as they also have jobs that will prevent them from being involved fully with what to do with some of the objects in their mother’s home.

Helene definitely anticipated this as Frederic would make decisions about what to do with his great-uncle’s artwork as some of it would be uneasy as he also wants to do something for his mother’s longtime caretaker Eloise (Isabelle Sadoyan). It’s not just that the siblings are having issues with what to do with all of these objects as some of them have very sentimental value that they want to keep. Yet, they do need the money as both Adrienne and Jeremie have jobs that will require them to live a certain way as neither of them stay in France very much while Jeremie also has children to take care of. For Frederic, losing this home hits him the hardest as he hopes to pass it on to his teenage children who adore the place.

Assayas’ direction is very entrancing for the way he presents the life of a family dealing with death and the end of something. While a lot of the direction doesn’t go for any kind of style. It is still entrancing for the intimacy that is portrayed in family life as Assayas moves the camera around a bit with wide shots or in medium shots. Yet, Assayas does find ways to create something that does look like a painting in some of the framing while a lot of the scenes at Helene’s summer home are exquisite and naturalistic in comparison to the scenes set in Paris. The direction in the scenes in Paris are much more controlled but also have that air of intimacy. Even as features moments that are quite melancholic as it would also involve moments with Eloise who is really a part of the house. The film does feature a somber ending as it relates to the home as well as the freedom that it has for those who are there. Overall, Assayas creates a touching yet heartfelt drama about a family dealing with loss.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography from the very naturalistic yet gorgeous look of the film‘s summertime exteriors in the estate to the more intimate yet lush settings of some of the film‘s interior scenes. Editor Luc Barnier does excellent work with the editing by using some rhythmic jump-cuts for some scenes as well as fade-outs to help flesh out the film‘s structure. Art director Fanny Stauff and set decorator Sandrine Mauvezin do amazing work with the look of Helene‘s home as well as the more modern look in Frederic‘s home. Sound editors Nicolas Cantin and Olivier Goinard do fantastic work with the sound to capture the intimate atmosphere in the scenes at Helene’s home in contrast to the loudness of city life.

The casting by Antoinette Boulat is superb for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Kyle Eastwood as Adrienne’s American boyfriend James, Emile Berling and Alice de Lencquesaing as Frederic’s teenage kids in Pierre and Sylvie, Valerie Bonneton as Jeremie’s wife, Dominique Reymond as Frederic’s wife, and Isabelle Sadoyan as Helene’s longtime caretaker Eloise who Frederic sees as part of the family. Edith Scob is wonderful as Helene as this old woman who seems to have lived a full life while knowing what will happen to her as she tries to ensure Frederic about what to do.

Jeremie Renier is excellent as the youngest sibling Jeremie as he tries to instill his ideas about what to do with the house while admitting that he needed the money as he’s set to move to China to work. Juliette Binoche is great as Adrienne as the middle child who is always moving around as she tries to help Frederic with handling the estate as well as deal with her own changes in life. Finally, there’s Charles Berling in a terrific performance as Frederic as he deals with his mother’s estate while becoming melancholic over what he might be losing as it starts to affect him greatly while he also ponders about what will happen to some of these personal objects that his mother has been holding for years.

L’Heure d’ete is a remarkable film from Olivier Assayas. Featuring superb performances from Charles Berling, Juliette Binoche, Jeremie Renier, and Edith Scob. The film is a truly heartfelt yet mesmerizing drama about loss and the shadows that are left by the previous generation. It’s also a film about family as well as the bonds that siblings try to make as well as preserve something that their children can cherish for years to come. In the end, L’Heure de’ete is an extraordinarily rich film from Olivier Assayas.

Olivier Assayas Film: (Disorder) - (Winter’s Child) - (Paris Awakens) - (A New Life) - (Cold Water) - (Irma Vep) - (Late August, Early September) - (Sentimental Destinies) - (Demonlover) - Clean - (Boarding Gate) - Carlos - (Something in the Air) - Clouds of Sils Maria - Personal Shopper

© thevoid99 2013

Paris Je T'aime

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/30/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Paris, one of the greatest cities of the world. Home of the arts, the Cinemateque, the Sorbonne, the Eiffel Tower, the Lourve, and many more landmark sites including the people in all of its glory with its mix of models, actors, musicians, and artists eating on the sidewalk cafes eating crepes, French bread, and drink wine. It's a glorious place that for those who want to go will be dreaming about by even saying they've been there but not physically. Yet, for those who still dream about going to one of the most beautiful cities in the world, how can they understand the experience the city? Well, there's a film made by some of the world's greatest directors as they're joined by some of the world's finest actors in an anthology film entitled Paris, Je T'aime (Paris, I Love You).

Paris, Je T'aime is an anthology film featuring 18 short films about various people in the different sections of the city. Based on an idea by Tristan Carne and conceptualized by Emmanuel Benbihy who along with Frederic Auburtin directed the transition sequences between each short. The film is an exploration of the city through different stories from the perspective of its eclectic group of directors that include Joel & Ethan Coen, Gus Van Sant, Alexander Payne, Tom Tykwer, Olivier Assayas, Wes Craven, Gurinder Chadha, Frederic Auburtin & Gerard Depardieu, Christopher Doyle, Richard LaGravenese, Vincenzo Natali, Alfonso Cuaron, Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas, Oliver Schmitz, Sylvain Chomet, Isabel Coixet, Bruno Podalydes, and Nobuhiro Suwa.

Featuring an all-star cast that include Fanny Ardant, Natalie Portman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gerard Depardieu, Nick Nolte, Ludivine Sagnier, Barbet Schroder, Bob Hoskins, Steve Buscemi, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gaspard Ulliel, Rufus Sewell, Emily Mortimer, Li Xin, Sergio Castellitto, Gena Rowlands, Miranda Richardson, Ben Gazarra, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, and many more. Paris, Je T'aime is a fascinating, enchanting film that will make anyone fall in love with Paris that they want to take a trip to one of the greatest cities in the world.

Montmarte (written & directed by Bruno Podalydes) is the story of a man (Bruno Podalydes) trying to find a parking space through the crowded sidewalk in the city as he finds one where he listens to classical music. Refusing to leave his space, he watches everything around where he then finds a woman (Florence Muller) fainting on his car as he tries to take care of her and then puts her in the back of his car as he tries to comfort her. Quais de Seine (directed by Gurinder Chadha & written by Chadha & Paul Mayeda Berges) is about a young man (Cyril Decours) who is hanging out with a couple of friends taunting women on the Seine River as he catches the eye of a beautiful, Muslim woman (Leila Bekhti) whom he befriends as she leaves for prayer at a nearby mosque as he waits for her. In Le Marais (written & directed by Gus Van Sant), a male customer named Gaspard (Gaspard Ulliel) is with Marianne Faithfull as he finds himself attracted to a young man (Elias McConnell) as he talks to him about soulmates despite the fact that this young man barely understands him.

In Tuileres (written & directed by Joel & Ethan Coen), a tourist (Steve Buscemi) is waiting in the Tuileres station, he reads a book about Paris where he breaks an unspoken rule about eye contact where he catches the eye of a young woman (Julie Bataille) only to anger her boyfriend (Axel Keiner) where he finds himself in trouble while getting hit with spitballs from a child. Loin du 16e (written & directed by Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas) tells the story of a young woman (Catalina Sandino Moreno) who leaves her baby behind at a daycare as she sings him a lullaby. After leaving her child, she takes a long journey from one side of the city to another as she works as a nanny for a rich woman to take care of her baby. Porte de Choisy (directed by Christopher Doyle & written by Doyle, Gabrielle Keng, & Kathy Li) involves a beauty products salesman (Barbet Schroder) whose meeting with a salon owner (Li Xin) nearly proves to be disastrous until the look he gives her proves to be a hit with her customers.

Bastille (written & directed by Isabelle Coixet) tells the story of a man (Sergio Castellitto) who decides to leave his wife (Miranda Richardson) for a younger woman (Leonor Watling) until his wife tells him some news that makes him rethink his decision as it's told in a third-person narration. Place des Victoires (written & directed by Nobuhiro Suwa) features a woman (Juliette Binoche) still coping with the death of her young son (Martin Combes) as her grief is suddenly comforted by a mysterious yet magical cowboy (Willem Dafoe). Tour Eiffel (written & directed by Sylvain Chomet) is told by a little boy (Dylan Gomong) of how his mime parents (Paul Putner & Yolande Moreau) meet and fell in love. Parc Monceau (written & directed by Alfonso Cuaron) is about an old man (Nick Nolte) who decides to meet a young woman (Ludivine Sagnier) based on an arrangement for a man named Gaspard as they talk about their own troubles in one continuous shot.

Quartier de Enfants Rouge (written & directed by Olivier Assayas) features an American actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who befriends a dealer (Lionel Dray) as she procures some strong hashish she needed before going to work on a costume drama. Place des Fetes (written & directed by Oliver Schmitz) features a wounded man (Seydou Boro) who is trying to talk to a woman (Aissa Maiga) whom he had met and fallen for some time ago as he tried to find her and ask her for a cup of coffee. Pigalle (written & directed by Richard LaGravenese) features an aging couple (Bob Hoskins & Fanny Ardant) trying to reinvigorate their marriage and love life as they contend with aging and their upcoming doom. In Quartier de la Madeleine (written & directed by Vincenzo Natali), a backpacking tourist (Elijah Wood) is walking late at night when he catches a vampiress (Olga Kurylenko) biting someone as she catches him as he falls in love with her.

Pere-Lachaise (written & directed by Wes Craven) features a soon-to-be-married couple (Rufus Sewell & Emily Mortimer) visiting famous grave sites as the woman is upset by her lover's lack of humor while they catch the grave of Oscar Wilde where during a tense moment, the man finds inspiration from the ghost of Oscar Wilde (Alexander Payne). Faubourg Saint-Denis (written & directed by Tom Tykwer) tells the story of a blind man (Melchior Beslon) who receives a call from his actress-girlfriend (Natalie Portman) about a break-up as he recalls the memories of their love life and their decline. Quartier Latin (directed by Gerard Depardieu & Frederic Auburtin & written by Gena Rowlands) tells the story of an old couple (Gena Rowlands & Ben Gazarra) set to divorce as they talk about their life for one last drink on the day before they officially separate. In 14e Arrondissement (written & directed by Alexander Payne), an American tourist (Margo Martindale) takes a trip to Paris and in rough French, where she goes through the sites of the city and wonders about the city and herself.

Essentially, the film is about Paris and the stories of love surrounding the place through its characters and interactions with the city or something. In many ways, it's a joyous collection of shorts from some of the world's greatest directors in this cinematic tour guide in the City of Lights. For some directors like Alexander Payne, Gus Van Sant, Gurinder Chadha, and the Coen Brothers, it's an opportunity to take a story each told in five minutes and use it to emphasize their themes and such. Payne's story of an American tourist telling her story in rough French emphasizes the director's mix of melancholia and humor as it's told wonderfully. The Coen Brothers segment with regular Steve Buscemi is a funny take on the don'ts at a subway. Gus Van Sant's segment will remind audiences of his early work like Mala Noche and My Own Private Idaho revels in the director's themes of gay love and disappointments. Then there's Gurinder Chadha's poignant tale of a young man falling for a young Muslim woman as he is captivated by her beauty. That short is another emphasis on Chadha's worldly view on Muslims and their mystical beauty.

The shorts of these directors along with the shorts of Sylvain Chomet, Wes Craven, Tom Tykwer, Nobuhiro Suwa, and Vincenzo Natali are the real highlights among the 18 shorts shown on film. Chomet, who is known as an animated film director, brings a delightful story told through mimes as it's truly one of the most entertaining. Tom Tykwer's short about a declining relationship told from one's memory is engrossed in the German auteur's unique style of fast-forward editing, sharp camera work, and electronic music as it emphasizes some of the film's emotional moments. Wes Craven's short is a surprise of sorts from the director who is known for horror and thrillers as he brings a wonderful take on romantic comedy with help from Alexander Payne as Oscar Wilde. Nobuhiro Suwa's emotional story of loss reminds audiences of Juliette Binoche's work from Krzystof Kieslowski's Trois Couleurs: Bleu with a wonderful appearance from Willem Dafoe as a cowboy in a strange, fantasy sequence.

While a lot of the shorts are mostly told in a dramatic fashion, Vincenzo Natali's short features no dialogue and is a mix of horror, comedy, silent-film, and romance as it's one of the film's finest shorts with wonderful performances from Elijah Wood and Olga Kurylenko. Other shorts that are memorable include Olivier Assayas' short with Maggie Gyllenhaal that features a grainy-like camera work to emphasize her character's hazy state of mind through hashish. Renowned Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle explores his familiar world with Asians in a wonderful short with Barbet Schroder and Li Xin that is filled of humor and references to French actresses. Bruno Podalydes' short was a great opener to the film as it emphasizes the accidental meetings between man and woman. Isabel Coixet's short was also strong that showed a man's choice between one woman and another forces him to question his loyalties.

The Richard LaGravenese short with Fanny Ardant and Bob Hoskins is one filled with lots of humor that featured the French actress and British actor playing off each other through great comedic timing. Gerard Depardieu & Frederic Auburtin's short that featured Depardieu as a restaurant owner is a joy to watch that is also in a style reminiscent of John Cassavetes with a script by Gena Rowlands as she and Cassavetes associate Ben Gazarra do amazing work with Rowlands displaying herself gracefully in the short. Another strong short is Oliver Schmitz short featuring African actors in a story of love and desperation proving the film's diversity. Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas' short tells a great story with a wonderfully understated performance from Catalina Sandino Moreno though it's one story that is depressing.

With every anthology film, there's some great shorts and some really good ones. Then, there's those that don't do as well. This is in the case of the short by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, which is surprising considering his reputation for great films. The problem with his short that features Nick Nolte & Ludivine Sagnier is told through one, uncut, unedited, continuous shot. While on a technical level, it's a great idea yet the result is style over substance. The tracking shot is really a distraction as the story of this old man and young woman talking doesn't have a lot of depth. Nolte and Sagnier are fine actors but the material they're working with isn't very good and Cuaron's overwhelming emphasis on technical style over the story definitely causes a problem. It's the one short that doesn't work in some respects.

With some amazing technical work in the editing, different styles of cinematography with contributions from Eric Gautier and Bruno Dubonnel, and the music to convey the romanticism of Paris. The film flows easily as for most of the time, the film is well-paced with very few bumps while the overall aspect is entertaining. Yet, with directors bringing in their own style of storytelling as well as a vision. The result is truly mesmerizing. Even with a diverse cast of actors from legends like Fanny Ardant, Gena Rowlands, and Bob Hoskins to famed character actors like Steve Buscemi and Sergio Castellitto, to young talents like Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood, and Gaspard Ulliel.

Paris, Je T'aime is an extraordinary short that is a must have for fans of anthology films. For anyone who loves the work of Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven, the Coen Brothers, Gurinder Chadha, Tom Tykwer, and Alexander Payne will no doubt find shorts worthy of their rich filmography along with surprises from Sylvain Chomet, Nobuhiro Suwa, and Vincenzo Natali. For anyone who dreams of going to the City of Lights will no doubt enjoy this tour of one of the most beloved cities in the world. In the end, for anyone who wants to say they've been to Paris but not physically, Paris, Je T'aime is the film to go see.

Related: New York, I Love You - (Tsibilis, I Love You) - Rio, Eu Te Amo

(C) thevoid99 2011

Carlos (TV Miniseries)

Known as Carlos the Jackal, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez is probably one of the most famous terrorists who is known for creating chaos for communist causes as well as supporting Palestinian liberation. In 1975, Carlos killed three people in Vienna during a raid at the OPEC headquarters where he achieved notoriety. When he was finally captured in 1994 in Sudan and given a life sentence in France, he remains an interesting figure in the world of pop culture. With books written about him along with films including Christian Duguay’s 1997 film The Assignment. Stories about Carlos the Jackal’s exploits have always been interesting. Now, his story is being told once again for a 3-part, five-and-a-half-hour TV-miniseries that is told by one of France’s premier directors in Olivier Assayas simply called Carlos.

Directed by Olivier Assayas, Carlos tells the story of Carlos’ rise and fall as a notorious terrorist in the 1970s. Written by Assayas, Dan Franck, and Daniel LeConte. The film explores Carlos and his exploits along with how he became the most-wanted man in the world. With Edgar Ramirez in the title role, the mini-series also stars Alexander Scheer, Nora von Waldstatten, Ahmad Kaabour, Christoph Bach, and Julia Hummer. Carlos is an extraordinary, captivating, and mesmerizing miniseries from Olivier Assayas.

Part 1

Ilich Ramirez Sanchez arrives to Beirut to meet PFLP leaderWadie Haddad (Ahmad Kaabour) following the death a Palestinian group leader in Paris by a secret Israeli counter-terrorist group. To work under the guidance of a man named Andre (Fadi Abi Samra), Carlos carries out his first mission where he wounds an Israeli politician in London. Though the mission wasn’t a total failure, Carlos creates buzz following the bombing of a Jewish business building while helping out the Japanese Red Army with their plans. Notably an attack at an embassy in Amsterdam where Carlos’ growing notoriety attracts of the East-German resistance group called the Cells.

After a few failed attacks on an Israeli plane, Carlos hides out in Paris with a student named Anselma (Yanillys Perez) while Andre has been captured by the Mossad. News of Andre’s capture brings panic while Carlos is finally captured on photo during a meeting with Andre as a French police supervisor named Commissaire Herranz (Olivier Cruveiller) attempts to capture him. Instead, Carlos makes a notorious escape to South Yemen where he meets Haddad along with other revolutionaries including Cell members Brigitte Kuhlmann (Katharina Schuttler), Boni (Aljoscha Stadelman), and Angie (Christoph Bach). It is around this time Carlos would plan his next move with Angie, a German revolutionary named Nada (Julia Hummer), a man named Khalid (Rodney El Haddad), and two volunteers for a raid in Vienna.

Part 2

It’s December 21, 1975 in Vienna Austria where Carlos, Khalid, Angie, Nada, and two volunteers are ready to raid the OPEC headquarters during an international meeting. Their target is the Saudi Arabian oil minister Yamani (Badih Abou Chakra) and others who are enemies of Palestine. With a few people including a Libyan official killed, the raid is a success at first while Carlos succeeds in getting a DC-9 plane for his team and hostages to fly to Algiers as their main destination is Baghdad. The Austrians give in though Angie remains ill from the wounds he received from the raid while the plan to go to Baghdad fails while Carlos refusal to kill hostages due to the Algerians’ offer makes the mission a failure.

Carlos however, becomes infamous for the raid though Haddad expels him from the group. With help from German Cells organizer Johannes Weinrich (Alexander Scheer), Carlos manages to make plans for his group. They later acquire the services of Ali (Talal Jurdi) during a meeting in Iraq with Iraqi military officials and KGB head Iouri Andropov (Anton Kouznetsov). Carlos also meets Weinrich’s girlfriend Magdalena Koop (Nora von Waldstatten) who would become Carlos’ second wife. Thanks to Ali’s connections, Carlos finds help in Syrian as Colonel Said (Fadi Yanni Turk) and an air force general (Antoine Balabane) give him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Part 3

Organizing a base in Budapest in 1979, Carlos, Magdalena, Weinrich, and Ali plan their next series of move with help from the KGB, various Islamic organizations, and the East German Stasi police. Though things start off slow much to Magdalena’s frustrations, the assassination of French ambassadors in Arabian countries were a success. Another attack on an ambassador in Paris in 1982 from Magdalena and Bruno Breguet (Guillaume Saurrel) becomes a failure as the two are arrested. Carlos responds with a series of attacks as his notoriety grows internationally. While Magdalena is released after three years and goes to Syria to meet Carlos. Everything changes with the birth of their daughter Elba a year later while the fall of Communism in the late 1980s forces Carlos to leave Syria.

Eventually finding asylum in Sudan, Carlos and Weinrich meet with military and revolutionary leaders about what to do next. With Carlos’ new girlfriend Lana (Razane Jammal) joining Carlos in Sudan, the build-up for new ideas become difficult to stage. Even as associates like Magdalena have already left while a traitor would reveal Carlos whereabouts. It is around this time General Philippe Rondot (Andre Marcon) would make his move to capture Carlos.

The miniseries is a classic rise and fall tale of one of the most notorious figures in the world of terrorism. Still, it is a fascinating portrait of a man who is a terrorist from one perspective while some might see him as a revolutionary. What Olivier Assayas and his co-screenwriters do is create a humanistic portrait of a man who is complex in the way he plans his attacks as well as the way he lives his life. While each part of the film reveals that it’s just a dramatic interpretation of Carlos and his exploits that is based on historical research. There’s no denying that despite Carlos’ actions as a terrorist, he is one fascinating individual.

The screenplay that Assayas, Daniel LeConte, and Dan Franck created for each episode is definitely wonderful for a five-and-a-half hour story. The structure of the script is truly fascinating in the way not only develops Carlos but also his surroundings and the people he’s with. The first part is about Carlos’ development as a soldier who starts out small with various bombings and other things. Along the way, he would meet people that would guide him or become accomplices. Notably Johannes Weinrich, Hans-Joachim Klein aka “Angie”, and Waddie Haddad. Also explored is Carlos’ fascination with women where it would be prevalent throughout the entire series since he would have affairs with lots of women.

In the second part, it begins with the OPEC raid where Carlos would become infamous as it reveals the plan going into fruition and later falling apart. There, he would start his own organization while his name becomes bigger as he would plan his own ideas. It is where he would meet his future wife Magdalena and another associate named Ali. Through Ali, Carlos would meet the people who would help fund him while becoming a secret soldier for the socialist movement.

The first two parts is about his rise as a terrorist through the eyes of Western imperialist and Zionist organizations. Then comes the third part which has a different rhythm and tone from its predecessors where it’s a slow build to Carlos’ fall. Like the Cold War itself, Carlos’ fall and capture ends his career not with a bang but a whimper. What happens is that when the world starts to change and socialist/communist revolutions start to fall. Carlos’ services aren’t needed as he struggles to find something to fight for where he goes to another Islamic revolution. Yet, that revolution is far different from what the Palestinian and other Islamic revolutions were in the 1970s. For Carlos, it becomes harder to try and organize things to the point where his inactivity would caught up with him as he betrayed by one of his associates.

Assayas’ direction is truly the highlight of the project in the way he captures the events that happen throughout the duration of the miniseries. Even in creating a sense of dread for the bombings and actions that Carlos does along with the idea of being inside of the building during the OPEC raid. While Assayas goes into various styles for presenting the many scenes of the film as well as each part of the miniseries. There is something intriguing about how Assayas presents Carlos and the situations that happens throughout. Even in using archival news footage from France and Europe to help tell the story of Carlos’ reign of terror. For the first part, Assayas creates an entertaining yet compelling drama with elements of violence and humor as it builds up to the OPEC raid.

For the scenes at the OPEC raid and the scenes on the plane, Assayas goes for a cinema verite style. Whereas the first part was mostly straightforward with bits of hand-held cameras for some of the action scenes. The second part for the portion of the OPEC raid and plane scenes has more hand-held cameras while the camera is at the center of being in the raid. It’s as if, it plays as another soldier where it is a remarkable end to the first half of the miniseries. By the time Carlos is expelled from Haddad’s group, the film becomes a study of character as it follows what Carlos is trying to do next. The second part ends with an abrupt ending of sorts where it would lead to what Carlos would do for the late 70s and 1980s.

In the third part, Assayas definitely decides to slow things down as if he’s creating something that is to build a moment where something is going to fall apart. At first, it plays up as this entertaining yet suspenseful piece where bombings are taking place and plans are going along. Then, the pace and tone of the film changes once Carlos has a family and the fall of Communism erupts. What would happen is that it would lead to an ending that is anti-climatic which works because of the way Carlos was captured and how he was taken to French authorities. The overall result is definitely a compelling drama from Olivier Assayas who definitely steps up his game as a director.

Helping to create the film’s colorful yet entrancing look are the cinematography of Denis Lenoir and Yorick Le Saux. Lenoir and Le Saux create a look that creates different moods for many of the scenes and time periods that goes on in the film. For the first part in Paris, there is a straightforward, colorless look while the scenes in the Middle East have a sunny yet grainy look throughout the entire series in the daytime. For the rest of the scenes in Europe, the photography has a look where the daytime scenes are a bit grey but with dashes of sunlight while the nighttime scenes are truly eerie with little lights. A lot of the cinematography is stylized but works to convey the moods of each sequence that plays out during the film.

Editors Luc Barnier and Marion Monnier do an excellent job with the film’s editing in creating suspenseful yet eerie cuts for many of the film’s action scenes including the OPEC raid. For the dramatic moments, Barnier and Monnier allow the scenes to just let go while playing up to the intensity of some of the film’s sex scenes. The transitions from one part to another are done with great cuts whether it’s an invisible cut for the first part or something abrupt in second one. The editing is truly phenomenal.

Production designer Francois-Renaud Labarthe and art director Bertram Straub do a fabulous job with the film‘s art direction from the creation of cars from the 1970s and 1980s to the homes that the characters live in during those different periods. Costume designer Francoise Clavel does a great job with the costumes of the film that moves from period to period from the bellbottoms, satin dresses, and all sorts of clothes worn during the 70s to the frazzled look of the early 90s as Carlos is unraveling. Visual effects supervisor Thierry Grizard and Mikael Tanguy does a very good job with the small visual effects created for the film such as the attack on the planes from terrorists in the first part of the film.

Sound editors Nicolas Cantin and Nicolas Moreau do a wonderful job with the film’s sound from the use of explosive sounds to create the feel of terror along with the gunshots during the action scenes. Even in the dramatic scenes to create the tension that surrounds everything during the third part of the mini-series. The film’s soundtrack consists of mostly post-punk and indie music from acts like Wire, New Order, the Feelies, and a Certain Ratio along with cuts by Los Lobos, the Lightning Seeds, Robert Fripp & Brian Eno, and La Portuaria for the ending of the two parts of the film. The soundtrack, that also includes South American folk music, is a very unconventional choice to play up to Carlos’ life while it works due to the intensity and emotion it brings to the story.

The casting by Antoinette Boulat and Veronika Varjasi is phenomenal with an ensemble that is truly spectacular for the array of episodes presented for the mini-series. In the first part, there’s memorable performances from Fadi Abi Samra as Carlos’ first superior Michel “Andre” Moukharbel, Yanillys Perez as Carlos’ first mistress Anselma, Hiraku Kawakami as a Japanese contact named Furuya, Ryosuke Sato as a Japanese Red Army leader, and Olivier Cruveiller as Commissaire Herranz, the man who would first discover Carlos. In the second part, there’s memorable performances from Badih Abou Chakra as the Saudi Arabian oil minister, Alejandro Arroyo as the Venezuelan minister Carlos befriends at the OPEC raid, and Anton Kouznetsov as KGB head Iouri Andropov.

For the third part, there’s Guillaume Saurrel as Bruno Breguet, Jean-Baptiste Montagut as a soldier of Carlos named Erik, Jule Bowe as a female soldier, Razane Jammal as Carlos’ Syrian/Sudan-period mistress Lana, Peter Scherer & Jozsef Toth as Hungarian agents, and Andre Marcon as General Philippe Rondot, the man who would capture Carlos. Other notable small performances throughout the entire miniseries includes Juana Acosta as Carlos’ first wife, Katharina Schuttler as East German Cells organizer Brigitte Kuhlmann, Aljoscha Stadelman as Cells soldier Boni, Rami Farah & Zeid Hamdan as two of Carlos’ men at the OPEC raid, Fadi Yanni Turk as Colonel Said, and Antoine Balabane as the Syrian air force General who gives Carlos something he couldn’t refuse.

Rodney El Haddad is very good as Anis Naccache aka Khalid, Carlos’ second-in-command during the OPEC raid who feels compromised when Carlos doesn’t go further with the plans. Julia Hummer is great as the psychotic Gabriele Krocher-Tiedemann aka Nada, a soldier who goes to any extremes to get things done. Ahmad Kaabour is superb as Wadie Haddad, Carlos’ mentor who shows him the ropes only to be upset by Carlos’ sudden celebrity as well as the later failures he created without Carlos. Christoph Bach is also good as Hans-Joachim Klein aka Angie, a revolutionary who helps Carlos in the OPEC raid only to disappear when things become tough.

Talal Jurdi is wonderful as Kamal al-Issawi aka Ali, the man who would introduce Carlos to the Syrians and help him organize attacks. Alexander Scheer is amazing as Johannes Weinrich, an East German Cells leader with connection to the Stasi who helps Carlos out in organizing plans while becoming burned out and unsure by the time the 1990s happen. Nora von Waldstatten is phenomenal as Magdalena Kopp, the woman who would Carlos’ second wife as she starts out as a determined revolutionary only to become a concerned mother for her child as she is truly spectacular in every scene she’s in.

Finally, there’s Edgar Ramirez in what is definitely the best role of his career as Carlos. Ramirez really brings an element of cool to a man that is truly one of the most controversial and hated figures in the world. Yet, there is also charm to the way he plays Carlos as he definitely sells the role as a ladies man. When he’s Carlos the terrorist, Ramirez brings the man to life as if he’s in charge and the center of attention while not hesitating to kill. Ramirez also succeeds in playing the role in various languages such as English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, and various Arabic languages. It’s truly a tour-de-force performance as Edgar Ramirez has officially arrived.

Carlos is an extraordinary miniseries from Olivier Assayas featuring a towering performance from Edgar Ramirez as the infamous terrorist. For anyone interested in the story of Carlos the Jackal will no doubt see this as a hypnotic yet fascinating portrait of one of the most menacing figures in the world. For fans of Olivier Assayas, this is truly one of his best projects to date as it shows lots of ambition of how he can tell a story. In the end, Carlos is a big yet brilliant miniseries from Olivier Assayas.

Olivier Assayas Films: (Disorder) - (Winter’s Child) - (Paris Awakens) - (A New Life) - (Cold Water) - (Irma Vep) - (Late August, Early September) - (Sentimental Destinies) - (Demonlover) - Clean - (Boarding Gate) - Summer Hours - (Something in the Air) - Clouds of Sils Maria - Personal Shopper

© thevoid99 2011

Clean

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/17/08.

French director Olivier Assayas is known for his prolific styles of filmmaking whether its exploring teen angst, film satire, mystery, or straightforward drama. Assayas is considered to be one of France's premier directors of the 1990s and so on as he also admitted to his appreciation towards Asian cinema. In 1998, he married Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung whom he has collaborated with in 1996's Irma Vep. Yet in 2001, the couple divorced though their relationship was still amicable for their 2004 collaboration in the drug abuse drama Clean.

Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, Clean tells the story of a former video jockey whose relationship with a musician takes a troubling turn as they succumb to drug addiction. Upon a tragic moment where she is discovered with heroin, she goes to jail, loses custody of her child, and then tries to redeem herself while trying to pursue a career as a singer. With Maggie Cheung in the leading role, the film is an exploration of addiction and redemption. Also starring Nick Nolte, Beatrice Dalle, Jeanne Balibar, Don McKellar, Martha Henry, James Johnston of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, James Dennis, and Emily Haines. Clean is a harrowing yet provocative film from Olivier Assayas on redemption.

Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung) for several years has been trying to help her lover musician Lee Hauser (James Johnston) as his music career is at an all-time low. With no deal and all the connections running out, they turn to their already troubling addiction to heroin. With their son Jay (James Dennis) living in Vancouver with Lee's parents Albrecht (Nick Nolte) and Rosemary (Martha Henry), Lee and Emily are still struggling. When one of their friends in Vernon (Don McKellar) has an offer to help Lee with a deal, Emily turns it down as Vernon along with the band Metric led by Emily Haines believe that Emily is the reason for Lee's decline. Following an argument about drugs and their troubling lifestyle, Emily walks out of their motel room as she does heroin in their car where she passes out. The next morning as she wakes up, police arrive where she learns that Lee had died of an overdose while she was arrested for possession.

When Albrecht and Rosemary hears the news of Lee's death, they're distraught as Albrecht is now dealing with Lee's estate as well as what's left of his music career. Emily is sent to prison for six months as Albrecht and Vernon handle Lee's business. Following her release, Emily meets Albrecht as she reveals she's on methadone as Albrecht asks if she stays away from Jay for a while. Emily moves to Paris to begin a new life though her methadone intake has taken a toll. After meeting Jean-Pierre (Remi Martin), she tries to get him to send a letter to one of Lee’s old friends Tricky as she reconnects with her old friend Elena (Beatrice Dalle). Emily reveals she's made demos of music with a friend named Gloria (Jodi Crawford) as Elena listens where she helps her get contact with a former employer named Irene Paolini (Jeanne Balibar). After being snubbed by Irene, she finds comfort in Irene's lover Sandrine (Laetitia Spigarelli) who had been a fan of Emily in her old days as a video jockey.

Still working a Chinese restaurant, Irene finally meets with her but the conversation goes nowhere as she moves in with Elena while getting a job selling clothes. Meanwhile in London, Albrecht and Jay accompany Rosemary for treatment as she had fallen ill. With Albrecht concerned for Rosemary's health and Jay's well-being, he realizes that the boy has to be with his mother no matter what Rosemary had told Jay about her. With Emily now clean and no longer on methadone, she becomes more determined to clean herself fully for her son. When Albrecht decides to go to Paris with Jay for a visit, Emily is ecstatic to see her son until a call from Gloria where she revealed to have gotten some sessions with David Roback of Mazzy Star in San Francisco. Unsure of what to do, she decides to see Jay, though he is reluctant to see her where she turns to Albrecht for help about what to do where he gives her a choice to think about her own future as well as her future with Jay.

Assayas' eerie yet moody take on a woman's journey from rock bottom to redemption is truly mesmerizing as his script reveals the affect of the death of this man and how his lover is trying to find ways to redeem herself in front of her son and her father-in-law. The film has an added subplot that involves Albrecht and how he's trying to deal things where unlike his wife who blames Emily for her son's death. Albrecht is aware that Lee is at fault for his own actions and is willing to forgive Emily for her own actions. While the screenplay is superb, it's the direction of Olivier Assayas that is spellbinding. With dreamy images, intimate settings, and observant camera, it's clear that Assayas is creating a film, though harsh and unsettling, that is all about mood as he unveils a harrowing portrait of redemption where the ending is complex yet emotional.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier adds a wonderful moodiness with his camera that includes stark colors for the film’s eerie, exterior settings in the daytime scenes in Canada, Paris, and London. The nighttime scenes in Paris are more colorful including some great interior shots with different array of colors. Gautier's photography is superb in every frame as he captures the tone of each scene in the film. Editor Luc Barnier does wonderful work in the film's editing with the use of jump-cuts and fade-outs to add a unique rhythm and style to the film. Production designers William Fleming and Francois-Renaud Labarthe do superb work in the different location and settings for the film as well as the French apartments that Emily visits. Costume designer Anais Roman does nice work with the costumes that range from rock-star like clothing to more casual, street clothing to convey the mood of the characters throughout the film. Sound designers Roman Dymny, Nicolas Moreau, and Daniel Sorbino add to the film's moodiness with on location sound work for the streets as well as the concert scenes shown.

Music composer David Roback of the Rain Parade and Mazzy Star brings a dreamy, moody score to the film while contributing original songs that are sung by Maggie Cheung herself. Additional contributions for the film's soundtrack comes from Tricky, Luna's Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, Joey Ramone, and a lot of cuts from Brian Eno in his various periods including his collaborations with David Byrne, Daniel Lanois, and Roger Eno. The music of Brian Eno works to convey the melancholia of Emily's character as it's used greatly.

The cast is truly superb with an array of appearances from David Roback, the band Metric led by Emily Haines of Broken Social Scene, and Tricky as himself. James Johnston of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is excellent as Lee Hauser, a struggling musician who is having problems with Emily that would lead to his own death. Jodi Crawford is good in her brief role as Emily's music collaborator Gloria while Laetitia Spigarelli is also good as Irene's secretary/girlfriend Sandrine who is a big fan of Emily in her old VJ days. Remi Martin is fine in his role as Emily’s old friend Jean-Pierre who helps her give a letter to Tricky while Don McKellar is superb as Lee's friend Vernon who handles his affairs after his death while giving Emily her cut. Jeanne Balibar is excellent as Emily's former employer Irene who seems to be unhelpful as she has become disenchanted with everything only to conform to corporate leanings.

James Dennis is great as Jay, the little boy who is unaware about his mother only to be told lies about her as he tries to figure out why she wasn't there for him. Martha Henry is good as Rosemary, an ill woman who is so heartbroken over her son's death, she couldn't bear but to hate Emily for what happened to her son. Beatrice Dalle is excellent in a supporting role as Elena, an old friend who helps out Emily while giving her a home and guidance on what she has to do for her career. The film's best supporting performance truly goes to Nick Nolte as Albrecht, Lee's father who provides a sense of wisdom and support for Emily as he helps her try to redeem herself as his character is the one with a huge conscience and the one with moral value.

The film's best performance truly goes to Maggie Cheung who would win the Best Actress prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for this film. Cheung's performance is magnificent from start to finish as she speaks English, French, and a variation of Chinese in the film as she plays a woman who is very flawed and then, tries to redeem herself. Though Cheung's beauty is definitely striking to watch, it's how she sells herself through the performance where the result is truly raw and also unsettling. Cheung also display subtlety to some heavy emotional scenes as she restrains herself in the performance while also displaying greater talent in her singing that is true to the film's mood. If there's one real highlight of this film, it's Maggie Cheung.

Clean is a harrowing yet engrossing film from Olivier Assayas led by the sprawling performance of Maggie Cheung. Fans of the work of Assayas and Cheung will no doubt consider this as essential while the film also includes an amazing supporting turn from Nick Nolte. While the film might be harrowing, it's subject matter is truly universal while both Assayas and Cheung create a film that is accessible yet arty. In the end, Clean is gratifying film that shows a woman's attempt to seek redemption for her actions and trying to find a new hope.

Olivier Assayas Films: (Disorder) - (Winter’s Child) - (Paris Awakens) - (A New Life) - (Cold Water) - (Irma Vep) - (Late August, Early September) - (Sentimental Destinies) - (Demonlover) - (Boarding Gate) - Summer Hours - Carlos - (Something in the Air) - Clouds of Sils Maria - Personal Shopper

© thevoid99 2011