Juliette Binoche Who You Think I Am Interview

Celle que vous croyez

Cast: Juliette Binoche, Nicole Garcia, François Civil
Director: Safy Nebbou
Genre: Drama
Rated: MA
Running Time: 101 minutes

Synopsis: Few films have afforded the incomparable Juliette Binoche the opportunity to showcase her remarkable range as the gripping new thriller about female desire and identity, Who You Think I Am.

Binoche plays Claire, a university lecturer and mother of two teenage boys, who is contending with the approach of middle age and remains stung by the betrayal of her ex-husband (Charles Berling), who is building a new life with another partner.

Claire has a new lover too, the handsome Ludo, but is under no illusions as to his fidelity. Out of a mix of petulance and curiosity, she impulsively creates a fake Facebook profile in which to keep an eye on him: she's 'Clara', vivacious, blonde… and 24 years old. Ludo doesn't take the bait, but his close friend Alex (François Civil) does, and their online connection soon becomes flirtatious. Titillated by the opportunity to be "young again", Claire's deceptions lead both of her identities into increasingly dangerous territory…

Based on a novel by Camille Laurens, this remarkable portrait – part psychological drama, part thriller – explores contemporary issues in an intelligent and compelling manner, and will likely spark fierce post-screening conversations. Unsurprisingly, Binoche is phenomenal.

Who You Think I Am
Release Date: August 2nd, 2019

 

 

Interview with Juliette Binoche

Question: Were you familiar with the novel by Camille Laurens from which Who You Think I Am was adapted?

Juliette Binoche: I only read it once I'd read the screenplay. I'd found the structure of the story breathtaking and I wanted to see if the book brought on the same emotional spiral. I was surprised to see how much freedom Safy had allowed himself, as though he'd appropriated the story. I also fished out a few precious moments from the novel that he enthusiastically agreed to integrate into the screenplay. Betraying a book is necessary in order to actually transform it into a movie, but rereading it during the film shoot is a brilliant source to recall the context, an emotion, a tone, or an inner landscape that fuels the acting, for something that feels alive must remain. Words should work like leaven; they aren't just ideas, they are matters and thoughts that we need to bring to life, that should arouse people – and not just intellectually. I enjoyed meeting Camille Laurens, who was instantly open, sincere, and kind. And then later she came to the set, though ever so discreetly, to give us her support.

Question: What did you find the most enticing at first in the screenplay? Its (breathtaking) format or the (double or even multiple) role itself?

Juliette Binoche: It takes more than being enticed to make a film, especially this one, given how passionate and dangerous the story is. The unknown stirs your curiosity. For me, it meant diving into a world that I wasn't really familiar with, that of Facebook and its possibilities! The structure of the screenplay allowed me to gradually enter the emotional and psychological state of my character as she embarks on this adventure, with distinct periods: the time with the therapist, the time as it is in the novel and then her life, which we follow as the film unfolds, and which is transformed along the way. This woman is of several ages, or so she believes, in any case. You wonder how it is possible for a woman who has studied literature for many years and who works as a university professor to suddenly be glued to her iPhone like a teenager. She seems to live contradictory lives. In spite of all her scholarly knowledge, one of childhood's fundamental needs persists: to be reassured and to be loved. The feeling of being abandoned seems to act as the trigger for her loss of identity. What I found surprising was to see that out of disappointment or revenge, she uses a fake profile and manages to forget this lie by fully immersing herself in this new life. Consequently her numerous facets enabled me to explore complex notions such as desire, the fear of letting one's youth slip away, the power of the imagination, and also to understand how one can create a whole world that we live for but that also smothers us at the same time. Claire has the ability to come back to life when everything has been destroyed… This is what the movie is depicting.


Question: In fact, Claire is a character who collapses, picks herself up, stumbles again, etc. Someone lugging around her misery, really…

Juliette Binoche: In the end, it's when you've reached rock bottom, when you've lost everything and can no longer return to a past situation that another state of awareness appears. True misery is when you experience an episode close to death – it can be devastating, but it makes you more human. Pride alone can no longer save you; you have to give up your beliefs, your values that seemed so very essential! When misery doesn't crush you, it can become a true inner guide. At the beginning of the film, Claire is rejected by two people – her husband and her young lover. After such crushing setbacks, creating this online persona allows her to keep her head above water, to assert herself as undefeated. She dares to be the conqueror: she can feel her strength, her power, her pleasure, yet when forced back into the dead end of her deceit, she has to stage the suicide of this illusion. The alleged suicide of her fictitious lover announced by her first lover (played by Guillaume Gouix) vouches for the importance of their love. It is a proof of love that comforts, but also destroys her. She then sinks into a depression that enables her to reconnect with her own true self, even though she remains in denial for quite some time.


Question: Isn't it doubly perplexing for an actress to play a woman who, at some point, can no longer tell the difference between fiction and reality?

Juliette Binoche: It's not the first time! In Clouds of Sils Maria [Sils Maria] (by Olivier Assayas), Certified Copy [Copie conforme] (by Abbas Kiarostami) and Code Unknown [Code inconnu] (by Michael Haneke) for instance, I played between reality and fiction…It's a theme that directors are fond of and is a lot of fun for actors, for you need to maintain a cer- tain distance while being fully involved, a little bit like in real life. Perhaps it is because these stories within the story hold out a mirror to us, help us understand what we are doing, how to play by the rules. We all tell ourselves stories, don't we? Subjectivity is the foundation of our lives although we somehow know that "Reality" is somewhere else, we can sense it, and we can make it out. Yet we don't quite know what "Reality" is, where its outline lies. The film gives us several diferent perspectives on the story. The character of the therapist also seems quite moved by this woman questioning her about life, femininity, desire, and time that slips away.


Question: Everyday sexism is also one of the themes addressed in this Russian-doll-like film. When Claire creates an online persona who is half her age on Facebook, it's hard to see this as a mere coincidence, isn't it?

Juliette Binoche: Yes, of course, her online persona is young and beautiful, and she uses this as a magic weapon. This alter ego is her number one enemy but she's also her ultimate power, allowing her to manipulate, have fun and be a part of this society that has pushed her towards the exit. There's also a form of irony when she posts the photo on her fake profile, the irony of the fate reserved for women her age. The point is not only to be young once again through this photo, but to use this youth to reclaim one's dignity and strength for a while, as well. It'll take some more time to actually regain her true strength – that of the most deeply rooted independence, freed from her fears and what is expected of her. Accepting to lose is a strength that comes with maturity and allows for a new inner space where happiness is experienced differently.


Question: Another leading theme in the film: social media and the dangerous liaisons they imply…
Juliette Binoche: Personally, I have an Instagram account; it's a fun and direct way to share my preoccupations, my films shoots, my photos, and some poetry with people all over the world. This cosmopolitan connection reassures me. Communication has been changed entirely by all the social networks – we're much more skeptical about everything that classic media is trying to make you believe. Information proliferates in every corner of the earth and we have the impression that everything is going very fast. Refocusing on one's own energy requires wisdom and awareness, for we are being watched and contaminated from every which way.


Question: Who You Think I Am is your first time working with Safy Nebbou in a creative collaboration, as far as we can see. Is this something you commonly do?

Juliette Binoche: We started with a shared enthusiasm to make a film that is dangerous and fearless; our trust in each other was earned along the way. We were both open to questioning each other as well as ourselves – the feeling of freedom was mutual. At first, I must say he was a little cautious, because of the coaches I work with. I think he felt I was going to slip between his fingers!


Question: Meaning?

Juliette Binoche: It surprises me to see that in France an actor's preparation before the shoot tends to scare producers and directors; it's an interesting thing to observe. On the contrary, it should be reassuring to have an actor who prepares beforehand, as the director does with his director of photography and his set designer. An actor who does prep work has more freedom and is more available; above all, and that's what's interesting, he or she knows the project from inside-out, and fully participates in the creative process, fertilizing the project, fostering inspiration for the director, and possibly for the team.


Question: In the end, Who You Think I Am is a shrewd perception of the female psyche…

Juliette Binoche: It's the portrait of a complex woman who isn't, however, burdened by complexes! Safy knows how to approach the feminine essence of his characters, that's not something he's afraid of: he's fascinated by it, even though he's not certain that he fully understands it. What I mean is that he doesn't turn them into some kind of "alien thing," even if it's beyond his grasp. I think that his love of Bergman's films has helped him comprehend the complexity of his perception!


Question: You give the impression that you're touching upon something personal – and significant – through Claire. Is it the case?

Juliette Binoche: When you play a role in a story, the character allows you to explore a new part of yourself. Every time. For me, the idea of putting yourself in danger, touching upon an area of discomfort, cannot be disassociated from creation. On the other hand, it is true that Claire is one of the roles in which I most dared to lose my footing and come to terms with my own ageing. There is a moment when Claire is disfigured by sorrow and she lets herself go, her gray hair doesn't bother her anymore. Right there, you understand the journey she's been on, the physical and emotional states she must have been through. The contrasts in Claire's various lives were fun for me to embody, even if the scenes with the therapist were taxing. Towards the end, I just wanted to be done! On the one hand, there is Claire, 50, abandoned, ageing, understated; then Clara springs up, filled with desire, and desirable; then Claire from the novel is created, self-confident and handsome, while on the other side of the mountain, there's Claire, 50, with her gray hair, who no longer cares; and finally in the end, cleansed, walking out of the turmoil, there's Claire, freed from her old fears. It was quite exhilarating to be able to show and be so many different faces at the same age!

Question: Isn't it paradoxical, though, to have such a feeling of letting go in a film as precisely structured as Who You Think I Am?

Juliette Binoche: It's true, there is something very straightout and blunt about it… even though the film is a game of hide and seek! Thankfully, the structure was there, but being able to let go, on both sides actually, came from the trust that Safy and I shared. The sheer joy of working together took over, and I feel that the crew, as well as the production team, were driven by this flame that we were sharing. There's nothing more beautiful than this undefinable thing that overwhelms you and is well beyond you but makes you feel connected.

 

Who You Think I Am
Release Date: August 2nd, 2019