Seberg

Seberg follows a couple of years in the life of Jean Seberg, the American actress most known for A Bout de Souffle and, arguably, being more revered in France than the US. She lived most of her adult life in France and was a prominent supporter of civil rights groups including the Black Panthers. This earned her the attention of the FBI and that's where the film kicks off. I admit to not really knowing much about Jean Seberg, considering that the above mentioned film is in my all-time top ten. But that lack of knowledge actually made the (mostly) factual events more maddening. The fucking horrid surveillance system the FBI used on Seberg and others is detailed here and its consequences leave an empty rage in the gut. Seberg gives a presser at one point and her ripping of the 'two dangerous bodies' - media and government - have murky modern echoes.

The film is directed by Australian theatre director, Benedict Andrews and he shows his nous at working with dialogue and actors. The cast are roundly fine with special mention to Margaret Qualley, who has a weird habit of moving her bottom lip into odd positions. Sounds like an affectation but it's strangely compelling to watch. Kristen Stewart, as Seberg, commands the screen and is an obvious star but I just can't work out if she's any good or not. And I like not being able to get to the crux of it. Anthony Mackie, sans wings, gives a nicely coiled turn as civil rights agitator Hakim Jamal, who gets some sauce on with Seberg. Zazie Beetz has some of the best lines and is on fine form here.

But let me explain my main issue. I found this film to be good but not great and part of the reason is the angle of the FBI 'whore with a heart of gold' stereotype. Jack O'Connell plays Jack Solomon, a young sound engineer with scruples, but who is 'just doing his job'. Without flashing a big red SPOILER light, you can probably guess how he becomes the gaping cavity for the viewer to see through and ultimately empathise with. Sure, there may have been agents with this kind of conflict but he's the only part of the story that is fully invented and it bites a touch that the film 'required' this character rather than focusing on Seberg or others. Mackie says at one point something like, "If you change one mind, you've made a difference", and this FBI agent is the predictable pay-off. In fact, that line seems to be the only reason to have his character in the film. Call me a big, old cynic if you will, but I'm not having that over-used device.

But anyway, all whinges aside, this was worth a watch. I especially liked the real film history crossovers. Paint Your Wagon, Airport and, of course Breathless (to give it its English title) are mentioned in relation to Seberg's career at the time and for a nerd like me, that's gold.

See also:

The Lives of Others (2006), directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, deals with similar themes, and have a look at the real Jean Seberg with Jean-Paul Belmondo in Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (1960). You won't regret it.