‘Seberg’ Review

Have you missed biopics or any resemblances of them after seeing bunch during last couple of years? Seberg is there, I guess. Taking flourishes from crime dramas and thrillers, we follow actress Jean Seberg’s (Kristen Stewart) life from France to USA as she gets tangled into an invisible fight with the FBI. Even having so much Seberg’s interesting life to draw from, the movie is never able to catch fire so to speak but just turns into a series of shots from hundred different places.

Some neat production design work is shown though. I don’t know how based on realism Seberg’s glass house is but on screen it offers a lot to look at. Similarly the FBI sweatshop looks great and gritty and is portrayed as this dark side of the film compared to natural lightness of the house. Much of the acting is pretty much wasted as Stewart’s, Vince Vaughn’s (as Carl Kowalski) and Zazie Beets’ (Dorothy Jamal) performances could’ve been incredible with the right material in hand. Script is unbearably dull, making every conversations a bore and over explanatory. The FBI investigation and smearing turns into a comedic shouting match.

Director Benedict Andrews never really seems to have a grip on the story. Actor’s movements around the spaces are slow and clunky, like they’re given freedom to do whatever but are afraid of stepping out of the middle of the frame. Tone is never here or there, serious issues like suicidal tendencies, self-harm and deteriorating mental health due to federal hounding are brushed aside. Instead time is wasted on FBI agent Jack Solomon (Jack O’Connell) and his weird family life. Why is this so much about him when we don’t know anything about him and movie’s name is Seberg? Seberg the film is a blended drink and the maker has no idea about its ingredients.

Smileys: Production design

Frowneys: Directing, screenplay

Pretty sure that there wasn’t a single riveting scene.

2.0/5