Claire Denis returns from space for the subdued and distinctly French melodrama Both Sides of the Blade. Here's nataliakeogan's review back from FilmLinc's Rendez-Vous with French Cinema:
After having its premiere at Berlinale last month, Claire Denis’played as part of Film at Lincoln Center’s annual Rendez-Vous with French Cinema series, granting New Yorkers a sneak peak of the film before its official U.S. release through IFC Films later this summer., yet it feels distinctly French in its premise.
On a picturesque seaside getaway, Sara and Jean embrace and caress each other while floating in crystal clear water. The parameters of their relationship are unknown, yet an air of familiar affection envelops their encounter. We soon follow the pair back to a dreary Parisian winter, where they share a minimalistic apartment and domestic duties.
However, Sara isn’t the only one re-hashing connections with François. Jean, a retired professional rugby player and ex-con, is recruited by his former friend to work for his agency, scouting promising young rugby players. Jean’s proximity to François appears to only stoke the flame of temptation for Sara, who begins a romance that obviously threatens to destroy the domestic harmony she and Jean once shared.
It’s imperative to note that Denis’ study is only as strong as the actors which inhabit it, with Binoche and Lindon achieving the height of melodramatic audacity, hurling insults and ultimatums at the other with scorching energy. Their chemistry is kinetic—if fundamentally volatile—providing a physicality that is deeply erotic even in its most miserable moments. Sara soaking in a bath, breasts protruding above water, is contrasted with a limp offer of compromise from Jean.
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