Clouds of Sils Maria
An aging actress retreats to the Swiss Alps to rehearse a role that forces her to confront artistic obsolescence, intimate dependency, and the unstable boundary between performance and life.
Overview
A poignant exploration of aging and self-discovery unfolds against the breathtaking backdrop of the Swiss Alps.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- witty
- intimate
- quiet evening
- reflective movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an absorbing, richly detailed, intellectually layered drama elevated by powerful performances and fluid direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Maria's preparation for Maloja Snake repeatedly makes the play's relationships and themes echo through her interactions with Valentine and Jo-Ann.
Maria struggles to move from the youthful role that established her career toward the older role in a revival led by a younger generation.
The Sils Maria mountain retreat and its surrounding clouds, roads, and valleys provide the primary space for Maria and Valentine’s rehearsals and arguments.
Maria’s disdain for internet gossip conflicts with Jo-Ann’s Hollywood visibility and the publicity machinery surrounding contemporary performers.
Films like Clouds of Sils Maria, and why
Persona
shared psychologically intense chamber drama, layered art-and-reality themes, and complex central female relationship
All About Eve
shared aging performer anxieties, theatrical self-reflexivity, and melancholy examination of artistic identity
Certified Copy
shared meta-fictional drama, shifting boundaries between performance and reality, and emotionally ambiguous relationships
The Passion of Anna
shared austere mountain setting, psychological complexity, and intimate Bergmanesque relationship drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Olivier Assayas
- Release Date
- 2014-08-20
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (826)
Cast
- Juliette Binoche
- Kristen Stewart
- Chloë Grace Moretz
- Lars Eidinger
- Johnny Flynn
- Brady Corbet
- Hanns Zischler
- Angela Winkler
- Nora Waldstätten
- Aljoscha Stadelmann
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Clouds of Sils Maria about?
- An aging actress retreats to the Swiss Alps to rehearse a role that forces her to confront artistic obsolescence, intimate dependency, and the unstable boundary between performance and life.
- What is Clouds of Sils Maria like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Clouds of Sils Maria as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Clouds of Sils Maria violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Clouds of Sils Maria.
- What did critics think of Clouds of Sils Maria?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an absorbing, richly detailed, intellectually layered drama elevated by powerful performances and fluid direction.
- Which films are like Clouds of Sils Maria?
- Films with a similar feel include Persona, All About Eve, Certified Copy, and The Passion of Anna.
- How long is Clouds of Sils Maria?
- Clouds of Sils Maria runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Clouds of Sils Maria?
- In United States, Clouds of Sils Maria streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now.
