BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE – Review

Juliette Binoche and French stars Vincent Lindon and Gregoire Colin deliver top-notch acting in a love triangle drama, in renowned director Claire Denis’s BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE. Previously titled FIRE in English, this well-acted French romantic drama’s French title is AVEC AMOUR ET ACHARNEMENT, which translates as “With Love and Fury,” which would have worked in English as well. Juliette Binoche’s character Sara certainly is playing with fire, when her eye strays to an old flame despite her better judgment, threatening her present loving relationship. Plenty of sparks fly as a result.

Juliette Binoche plays Sara, who is in a loving, long-term relationship with Jean (Vincent Lindon), Sara

had left her previous amour Francois (Gregoire Colin) for Jean, his best friend and business partner, and Sara had stuck with Jean even through his 8-year jail term. Early romantic scenes make clear the passionate feeling the couple still share. Yet when Sara unexpectedly sees Francois on the street one day, she is overcome a sudden rush of old feelings and buried longings, even though Francois didn’t even see her. Although she does nothing, the mere mention of the name of her ex, whom neither have seen in the intervening decade, to her current lover seems to electrifying the air, sending a jolt of fear through him, although he says nothing. That level of unspoken yet crackling emotion charges the air, as these two acting greats say more without words than lesser talents could, even before anything more happens. Repressed longing, smoldering jealousy and fear on both sides suffuse scenes as the couple begin playing with fire that may burn them both.

Although Sara had just glimpsed Francois at a distance on a Paris street, it turns out Jean has actually talked to him, something Sara does not yet know. Francois called Jean, out of the blue after ten years, to suggest as they start up a new business together, an agency for young sports prospects. Once a pro rugby star, Jean and Francois had once worked together after an injury ended his career. But that came to an end when Jean went to prison for eight years. We don’t learn the reason but there are hints that it may have been something both Francois and Jean were involved with, although only Jean was caught. As an ex-con, jobs have been scarce, so Jean is in no position to pass up any opportunity but, as a former pro rugby star, Jean is particularly drawn to the chance to get back into the sports world.

When Sara casually mentions that she saw Francois on the street, Jean freezes. Although he says nothing, we can see, even feel, the jolt of electricity that rushes through him when he hears this, and the air is alive with tension and fear. Yet neither Sara nor Jean say anything, and Jean does not mention the call from Francois.

Jean can’t bring himself to pass up Francois’ business offer, although it is clear there is risk for his happy home life. He delays even mentioning it to Sara, who says little about that, realizing the tension Jean is feeling. Jean becomes secretive, trying to avoid situations where the former lovers might meet, fearing what may happen. Sara is determined that nothing will happen, as she feels she made the better choice all those years ago and is sure she loves Jean, yet there is always a fear of the fire they are playing with.

The thrill of this love-triangle drama is watching these powerhouse actors at work in this fraught situation. Carefully observed, multi-layered and nuanced acting is delivered by all three but particularly from the scenes with Binoche and Lindon as the couple in crisis. Gregoire Colin’s Francois is handsome and socially smooth but a rather oily character underneath. We quickly see why Sara chose Jean, yet her attraction is like an addiction she is battling. Both Sara and Jean are hesitant to even touch this heated issue, and continually dance around it. There are telling glances, smoldering feelings, anger or fear revealed through looks, sometimes even contradicting the words they speak. All these half-buried sparks threaten to burst into full flame as this tense romantic drama unfolds.

The unspoken tension between them is complicated by the fact that Jean is so hungry to take the business offer Francois holds out, so much that he is willing to take risks. There is also another problem pressing on Jean, his bi-racial teen son Marcus (Issa Perica), who has been raised by Jean’s mother Nelly (Bulle Ogier) in a small town outside Paris, but who has become difficult for her to handle as he entered his teen years. Periodically she calls Jean to beg for his help, pulling him in another direction.

These gifted actors do an excellent job keeping this pot boiling and Claire Denis, who won the Silver Bear for director at the Berlin Film Festival, and co-writer Christine Angot keep things tense and percolating along. Yet as fabulous as it is to see these actors work and as skilled as the director/writer is gripping an audience, this is still a romantic melodrama, with not larger socially meaningful commentary, despite the subplot about the bi-racial son, Sara’s job as a radio host on a Arab-centric program or scenes illustrating the difficulties of ex-con in finding work. Those topics are touched on, rather than explored at depth, so while worthy, they are but grace notes to the main plot.

This high-wire, electric romantic drama is a treat for audiences who relish fine acting and a gifted director putting those artists through their paces, but offers less for audiences seeking a more significant story or one with deeper meaning.

BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE, in French with English subtitles, will be shown July 16 at the Webster Film Series and is now playing in select theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars