Maria Enders’ career began when she was 18 and played Sigrid, a cruel young girl who abuses the love of a more mature woman, Helena, whom she pushes to commit suicide. Years later, at the height of her popularity, Maria attends an event in honor of the director who was responsible for launching her career, and finds out he has died. This moves her to accept an offer to do the play again, but this time in the role of Helena. Together with her assistant Valentine, she dives back into her memories and faces her failures…

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A polymorphous director who so far has refused to specialize in a genre, the intangible Olivier Assayas lets himself get taken away by Juliette Binoche, who was frustrated by their collaboration on L’Heure d’été, and talked him into doing this movie. By resisting the usual formulaic game of manipulation and jealousy, Sils Maria leans in favor of the troubling experience, driven by a slow and captivating narration. The film’s best aspect are the wonderful exchanges between Binoche and an excellent Kristen Stewart.