Clouds of Sils Maria (2015), directed by Olivier Assayas

Stunningly beautiful, complex and intriguing, this play within a film within a play takes a thoughtful look at a woman coming to terms with ageing. Filmed in Germany, Italy and Switzerland, it holds up a mirror to the life and career of successful actress Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche). Twenty years ago she played the part of Sigrid, a young and manipulative woman, on stage and in film. Now she has been asked to play the part of the older woman, Helena, in a revival of the play. As she runs the lines with her competent young assistant, Valentine (Kristen Stewart), she struggles to accept her change in role and the approach of troubled starlet Jo-Ann Ellis as the new Sigrid (Chloe Grace Moretz). Is life imitating art, or art life? And is generational change always inevitable? Echoes of the classic film All About Eve resound in Maria’s relationships with both Val and Jo-Ann. A mystery at the end of the play is also reflected in life, with both the playwright and Valentine. Kristen Stewart was the first American to win a French academy award for her role. Binoche and Moretz are excellent, as is the mostly European supporting cast.