Savina Petkova

An agreeable documentary with technically zero drama (and notably no other interviewees) portraying a hard-working icon of street-wise aesthetic and a radical influence on high fashion: what’s the catch? Arguably there isn’t one, but it’s hard to say whether the balminess of the film is a result of a friendly disposition, or if Coppola’s auteurist touch is way too light.

Chomet’s film is finally an edifying, educating piece of work, beautifully drawn and composed.

On the one hand, Society of the Snow is a perfectly watchable film punctured by affect and empathy, and on the other it taps into the power of cinema to bear witness––even in the most conventional of genres––to those who no longer are with us.

The film may not leave any deep marks or make you consider parenthood in a new light, but it still constitutes an auspicious debut.

On this occasion Salles has somehow failed to find the right cinematic framework for this biopic storytelling. The film feels uncalibrated, but not in the free-flowing, depth-exploring, liberated kind of way.

Khebizi, an acting newcomer, delivers a performance that’s this close to perfection, using her sparse dialogue and highly stylized gestures to make Liane appear almost untouchable. If only the script could live up to the level of complexity her first role achieves.

The film’s whole narrative set-up reveals itself flimsy and unconvincing––it doesn’t take much to realize that a conversation between a political advisor and a political expert could never in a million years be so toothless and dull.