Directed by Claire Denis
Starring Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, Grégoire Colin
In terms of romantic dramas about infidelity, the story in Both Sides of the Blade seems so simple and so skeletal, with not too much new in the plot-line here. But it’s in the gradual pacing of how this plot-line unfolds, helped by this powerful acting duo, where the film’s tension lies.
The simple story: Jean (Vincent Lindon) is hired by François (Grégoire Colin) to work as a talent scout for his sports agency. But the friction between them comes from Jean’s lover Sara (Juliette Binoche) who was previously in a relationship with Francious, and evidently still seems to have feelings for him. This is a film that lays out its story with brooding tension, almost feeling more like a thriller than a romance.
Juliette Binoche has proven herself across countless performances that she’s a powerhouse actor, and one that can so easily and comfortably perform in domestic situations. Lindon does terrific work opposite her, presenting an effortless internal intensity (as he did in the brilliant Titane), that continues to bubble to the surface as the film progresses.
Infidelity can come across so flippant, as not to cause much conflict, especially in European films (even in the last Denis-Binoche collaboration Let the Sunshine In). But in the case of Both Sides of the Blade, it’s seen as the central conflict that looms throughout almost the film’s entirety. Although this romantic couple seem so casual and regular to begin with, as their arguments get more heated, we get more and more invested in their relationship.
This unease is accentuated by the film’s dawn monotonous color scheme, mostly populated with greys, some blues, and plenty of early mornings and evenings (though the film criminally switches from regular camera-lens work to obvious and unnecessary smart-phone recorded shots, which is always jarring to see).
Although Claire Denis is regarded as a bit of an art-house darling, her films tended to be piecemeal, on top of being languid, and simply became boring for it. But with her last film, the big-budget outer-space English-language debut High Life, she demonstrated a keener eye on what her goals were in her work. And now with this film, she seems more focused than ever.
DAVID MORGAN-BROWN
