The Kristen Stewart starrer “Seberg” is a mess- from start to finish.
The film denies the talented Kristen Stewart the space required to breathe new life into a film which is sometimes clever and often uncoordinated.“Seberg” feels unbalanced from the moment it almost starts.
A brief prologue, set on the day Seberg was almost burned alive while shooting, casts a poor shadow over the events to come. The script from Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse forces the scene to carry too much weight. The rest of them gives time to Seberg to throw shade at “Paint Your Wagon” and wail the insignificance of her work.
But those few seconds where Seberg is nearly killed provide the only meaningful proof that she wanted more from life.
Credit: Deadline
However, “Seberg” shines; in some short-lived moments which you wanted to last longer. It is a compelling movie, as it questions why people choose to walk down certain paths. It showcases how even the human compulsions around attract us towards larger causes.
Meanwhile, the action picks up in 1968. Seberg is donning a longer version of the blonde pixie cut and is leaving her husband (Yvan Attal) and son in Paris and flying to L.A. for a big audition. She crosses paths with the controversial black leader Hakim Jamal (Anthony Mackie). And honestly, the relationship between Seberg and Jamal could’ve easily been converted into an entire film.
CONCLUSION
Well, the film feels like a missed opportunity rather than an outright disaster. It is a shame that Andrews doesn’t delve deeper into Seberg as he does into the foil this. Stewart pivots away from her contradicting outsized public persona and embraces her alluring and headstrong role.
All in all, even Stewart’s performance can’t save this dull film which had the potential to bring something better to the table.