Joshua Reviews Olivier Assayas’ Something In The Air [Theatrical Review]

Very few filmmakers have had as varied a career as director Olivier Assayas.

Coming hot off the heels of his gem of a historical epic, Carlos, the auteur is back with a distinctly more intimate picture, the deeply personal Something In The Air. Entitled Apres mai (After May) in France, the film takes a starkly smaller scale look at a revolution, this time one of protest instead of violent terrorism.

However, it’s focus isn’t solely on a revolution, but instead Assayas, like his camera, sets his thematic sights far more intimate than something that broad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5AXvOeUtu8

Something In The Air finds its closest kin in the form of films like Summer Hours and its nearest relative, Cold Water, and follows the story of a young man caught up in the revolutionary landscape of early ’70s France. Surrounded by artists, intellectuals and militants, Gilles is on his way out of high school and trying to find out just who he is both politically and more so creatively. With a relationship coming to an end, he meets the beautiful and entrancing Christine only to fall for her seemingly from the moment they meet. However, as with most people of this age, self discovery can change more than one could ever imagine.

Hitting theaters via IFC, the film is as deeply personal a picture as Assayas has made to date. Written by the filmmaker (not something entirely new to the multi-hyphenate), there is a vitality to the picture that turns the ‘70s-set picture into something far more expansive.  Assayas does date his picture with cultural cues (particularly a brazenly energetic collection of source music), however, he also turns the film into something far more than just a portrait of a revolution on the brink.

Inherently a character study, the film’s deeply personal aesthetic is bred due to Assayas’ focus on the character’s self-discovery. Set more so during a point in his lead character’s life than an actually denoted time period, the film is able to break through to any viewer due to its personal timestamp more so than a palpable cultural timestamp. By that I mean the film’s strongest suit is its ability to portray a character’s interaction with him or herself as well as the ever growing world around them. Most viewers of the film will be able to relate to the character’s ever changing world view as he nears graduation, and when paired with Assayas’ uncanny ability to craft a picture of pure intimacy without feeling oppressive, the film truly comes to life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBLvNDmm6zw

This is also a return to small pictures for Assayas following his brilliantly executed epic, Carlos. Very much connected to films like Summer Hours, the film finds Assayas at his most lyrical. The camera here seems to have a life of its own, following its central characters throughout their world, but never feeling connected to their hip. Some sequences feel down-right fluid, particularly one section of the picture finding our lead in the midst of a raucous party. Flowing from room to room, the picture feels as vibrant and energetic as its central characters, and seems to be as inspired by the world it is shooting as the characters are the world they are living within. Paired with beautiful photography from Eric Gautier, the film is intimate and quiet, but not without being expertly vocal in its discussion of personal growth.

The most thrilling aspect of the picture may be its young cast, however.

First time actor Clement Metayer stars here as Gilles, and is an absolute revelation. There is a raw truth to his performance that, while it is far from the film’s most energetic turn, proves to be its most telling performance. The proxy for director Assayas, there is an legitimacy and genuineness to his turn that puts you directly in the wake of what was the previous generation’s formative moments. Set  a handful of years after strikes began forcing change in France, there is a melancholy to the performance, and also his relationships, particularly with Christine, feel fleshed out and heartbreakingly universal.

Lola Creton, however, is the showstopper. Hitting the scene in films like Goodbye First Love and Catherine Breillat’s Bluebeard, the actress steals the show here as Christine. She herself is fine, but when paired with Metayer, the film truly comes to life. Their relationship feels deeply personal to Assayas, and deeply relatable to the viewer, as it’s the timeless story of two lovers growing apart due to personal change. As Christine becomes more and more focused on the movement and revolution, the relationship dynamic changes, and ultimately the picture becomes a tale about love and growth more so than anything relating to the film’s central politics.

But even more so, the film is focused on creative growth. A film about artists and intellectuals, the film’s strongest thematic angle is its discussion of creative change. What means more to someone, aesthetics or central ideology? That’s the core question the film attempts to answer, and the picture never feels sure enough to come to a distinct conclusion, which itself is effective. A battle everyone of this age has, this feels, again, ripped right out of the life of its director, something more intimate than we’re accustomed to seeing from Assayas.

However, there is an odd aspect to the picture. While it’s engaging and intriguing intellectually, it does feel oddly slight. Partially due to the film’s muted aesthetic and partially due to its equally small scale narrative, the film feels a tad long, with a handful of moments that drag the film down a tad bit. Thankfully, the film’s cast is so strong and appealing that it elevates the material, but those looking for a politically charged time capsule drama may be a tad disappointed here.

That said, those going in with an open mind, and an open heart, will be rewarded. Something In The Air marks Assayas at his most intimate and personal, finding the director weaving a tale seemingly ripped out of his own life, and given a startlingly lucid and vital glance. More so a story of a young man’s cultural and creative awakening than a look at a revolution, Something In The Air is a beautifully crafted drama hinging on two performances from great young talents. A tad over long and featuring a handful of moments that lag, Assayas’ new film is yet another superb picture from one of today’s great auteurs.