Both Sides of the Blade

Sara and Jean have been together for a decade, living in Paris in a relationship that still feels strong. Before Jean, Sara was involved with François, who was Jean's closest friend and an admirer from the days when Jean played rugby. Sara happens to glimpse François on the street one day, and though he does not see her, the encounter unsettles her with the sense that her life might shift. Soon after, François contacts Jean for the first time in years and proposes they work together again, bringing him back into the couple's orbit.

Claire Denis directed and co-wrote the film with Christine Angot, based on Angot's novel. It is the thirteenth of the fifteen features Denis has directed in chronological order, arriving between Stars at Noon and The Fence. Juliette Binoche plays Sara opposite Vincent Lindon as Jean, with Grégoire Colin as François; Bulle Ogier, Issa Perica and Alice Houri appear in supporting roles. Olivier Delmosc produced through Curiosa Films, and fifty crew members are credited.

The film was released in July 2022 and took in about two million dollars worldwide, a modest return for a French drama. On IMDb it holds 6.1 out of 10 from roughly four thousand votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.7 from a much smaller group. A critics' rating of 7.1 from 122 reviews is noticeably higher than either audience figure, suggesting reviewers responded more warmly than general viewers.