SEBERG (2019)

Directed By: Benedict Andrews  Written By: Anna Whitehouse & Joe Shrapnel  Cinematography: Rachel Morrison  Editor: Pamela Martin 

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Vince Vaughn, Jack O’Connell, Anthony Mackie, Zazie Beetz, Yvan Attal, Margaret Quaker, Colm Meaney, Stephen Root

Inspired by real events in the life of French New Wave icon Jean Seberg. In the late 1960s, Hoover's FBI targeted her because of her political and romantic involvement with civil rights activist Hakim Jamal.

Kristen Stewart is the star spectacle of this movie that seems to be built like last year’s movie JUDY they won Renee Zellweger an Oscar a film meant to be a comeback of sorts and to show the movie going audience that Kristen Stewart is a strong actress by playing someone beloved from Hollywood or who is a cult star to certain audience members. 

Here the film is more built around her and her character as well as performance but is given barely any room to standout or Flourish. As she never truly fully inhabits the role. As so many scenes she is in are dependent on her scene partners rather then her playing erratic and paranoid a few times. 

This film is supposed to be an intimate portrait of a period in her life but barely has room To grow. Before it becomes more claustrophobic to illustrate her madness. As it more feels like a psychological thriller at certain points. Which makes the film feel more formulaic and suffers because of it.

In what should be shown in grand scale style feels independently small. Though the film is stylishly directed. Which only makes the flaws more evident. Which also reveals some of the films own clumsiness In handling some scenes and the material 

While the film shows the racist tactics used it also feels off note in it’s depiction of racism Making it feel a little prejudice itself. 

The film Feels smaller scaled then it should. Can admit it helps to make the film feel more intimate and more A character study. Even as it seems to only examine one time in her life while filling. Us in other aspects. Though there even more in relaxed ways then having us know this helps paint the picture. 

The film Also does itself no favors by giving us a sympathetic F.B.I. Agent as a dual protagonist. Because we are supposed to feel sorry and forgive him because he feels guilty and has a slightly bigger conscience then his partner and superiors but still can’t take back all the things he helped do. Not forced by the way but voluntarily. As he tries to act like he had nothing to do with it to a degree or he didn’t Know it would become this vicious? Though still well played earnestly by Jack O’Connell.

Putting her through all of this mainly because she supported the black panthers and helped about their cause and donations to them. As well as putting them in more of the public eye, but also making the powers that be seemingly jealous of her affair with one and spreading racist propaganda against her, him And the whole movement with glee.

Shocked to a degree that this film is so well cast for basically Non-Essential roles. Sure it adds star power to movies but they are given nothing to do. Though it might be as it gives the actors to play in something deemed at least a little more artistic then studio tent pole and franchise movies.

Which seems to be the mood here to be anti-establishment. Though even for such a tale of doom and gloom it still comes off more as a melodrama then compelling.

By the end the film feels defeated by itself.

Grade: C+