Juliette Binoche reunites with Claire Denis in Both Sides of the Blade, a pandemic-era romantic drama shot like a thriller. Binoche is Sara, a radio reporter living in Paris with her husband, Jean (Vincent Lindon)– still getting his bearings after a stint in prison– when François (Grégoire Colin), a previous fan of hers and best friend of Jean’s, turns up on the scene. As a woman buffeted by suspicion, fear, and contrasting feelings of loyalty and desire, Binoche is, as ever, an overall pleasure to view– and in Denis’s hands, this little film about old wounds sings with thriller.– M.M.
How to see: In theaters at the IFC Center
Persuasion (July 15)
Material
This material can also be viewed on the website it originates from.Few period movies come as fiercely anticipated as the British theater director Carrie Cracknell’s take on Jane Austen’s final novel, Persuasion, both thanks to its starry cast– Dakota Johnson, Henry Golding, and Richard E. Grant among them– and its vibrant inclusion of direct-to-camera asides in the style of Fleabag. Offering a fresh, noticeably contemporary twist on one of Austen’s many precious tales, it ought to have a feverish social media action on release.– L.H.