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Both Sides of the Blade

The 100 Most Anticipated Movies of 2022

Avec amour et acharnement

2022

Claire Denis

Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, Grégoire Colin, Bulle Ogier ...

5.6

794

Drama. Romance Sara and Jean have been in a loving, stable relationship for ten years. They are happy. He is her rock, someone she can hold on to. When they first met, Sara was in a relationship with François, Jean’s best friend. One day, Sara sees François on the street. He does not see her, but she is overwhelmed by a sensation that her life could suddenly change. François does indeed get in touch with Jean to suggest that they work together again. ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Jonathan Romney Screendaily	"A quintessentially Denisian film (...) [Binoche's] duets with Lindon show the two actors working at the top of their game, on a level of alertness and nuance that pays off in a fully Bergmanesque emotional showdown."
		Guy Lodge Variety	"Old flames die hard in a love triangle that sees the veteran filmmaker applying her signature formal finesse (...) Binoche is marvelous in a role that makes pointed thematic use of her elusive, melancholic screen allure"
		Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"It’s intriguing if contrived and anticlimactic, though acted at the highest pitch of sensual conviction (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"[A] smart, moody, superbly acted melodrama (...) The intimate intensity here is almost painful to witness, thanks to Binoche and her magnetic co-stars"
		Anna Smith Deadline	"An intimate slow-burner that sets a credible scene, but doesn’t quite deliver on the mystery it promises (...) For the first hour, this feels like it could be a Denis classic, but it burns out long before the credits roll."
		David Ehrlich IndieWire	"An incendiary drama about the danger of old flames (...) Denis creates a contained backdraft of a film that’s as volatile and untamed as an inferno."
		Rory O'Connor The Film Stage	"Ultimately Fire–a film shot in a world of masks and lockdowns, and full of what will hopefully one day be curious artifacts of the COVID era–often feels an oddly lifeless film"
		Tim Robey Telegraph	"A film that focuses less on the act of infidelity itself than the combative consequences (...) The film has an impetuous, let’s-try-it-on quality that makes it a modest pleasure (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"Thorny and unabashedly sexy, Claire Denis’ 'Both Sides of the Blade' cuts deep"
		Pat Brown Slant	"An accomplished erotic thriller (...) There's an unnerving sense of escalation (...) London and Binoche each turn in mesmerizing performances (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Natalia Keogan Paste Magazine	"Adroitly handled in Denis' hands. [It] manages to find a freshness thoroughly conveyed by Binoche and Lindon's involvement. Also able to subtly integrate the lasting societal effects of the pandemic"
		Jordan Hoffman AV Club	"Claire Denis' latest may have earned the directing award at Berlin, but it's unlikely to win over many viewers"
		Sheila O'Malley rogerebert.com	"'Both Sides of the Blade' is a romance, a love triangle, a marriage drama, an infidelity narrative, all familiar ground, but Denis' approach is her own (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Dustin Chang Screen Anarchy	"Directed by Claire Denis, the film contains visual/aural power and beauty, combined with blistering performances by Juliette Binoche and Vicent Lindon. It's damn near a masterpiece, in my book"
		Jessica Kiang The Playlist	"[It] feels out of whack, but as a portrait of that woman, with the two men representing opposing edges of her knife-like need for passionate, unconstrained love, it becomes a little more coherent, if not much more satisfying"
		Kaleem Aftab Cineuropa	"The story is told in a choppy style, the messy editing means that the film is all over the place. Put together, it's hard to feel empathy with any of the characters"

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