Chelsea Alexandra
Sacrifice is inevitable, especially when embarking on a fresh start. Recently premiering at SXSW, Real Faces, directed by Leni Hughes, follows Julia at a pivotal crossroads in her life. Real Faces paints a compelling portrait of feeling lost, torn between success and self-preservation.
Real Faces follows Julia (Leonie Buysse), a freelance casting director looking for a new start in Brussels. With this new start, she meets Elliott (Gorges Ocloo), an introverted microbiologist who is pursuing his PhD. Julia is renting a room in Elliott’s apartment and at first, he is cold towards her, treating her as just a tenant. Professionally, Julia is in the middle of casting for a perfume campaign. Although she may not agree with all that is expected of her during the casting process and the invasive questions that she’s required to ask, per the director, Julia wants to prove herself more than ever.
As time goes on, Elliott begins to warm up to her. Though they may not have much in common, they both enjoy each other’s company. Julia begins to see Elliott as a source of comfort after long stressful days. Their relationship develops into a sweet friendship, where they give each other the chance to step inside each other’s worlds for a moment. One night, the two will spend their time on the couch quoting movies and another Julia can pull Elliott out of his shell and the two go to a club. However, the comfort of this friendship begins to crack when Julia decides to have Elliott test for the perfume ad she is casting. When the line blurs between her professional and personal life, she begins to lose herself in the process.
Buysse delivers a compelling and layered performance, portraying Julia’s internal conflict with quiet intensity. Ocloo, too, brings depth to Elliott, making his reserved nature feel rich with emotion beneath the surface. In the beginning, there’s an awkwardness, an emotional distance as Elliott remains guarded and Julia struggles to find her footing in his space. As they begin to open up to each other, there’s a tenderness that emerges. There is a natural and unforced chemistry between both Ocloo and Buysee.
One of the film’s greatest strengths is its ability to capture the quiet tension of ambition. Julia’s struggle is deeply relatable. She fears being overlooked and she is more than willing to endure discomfort to prove herself. In Real Faces, Hughes crafts an intimate and thought-provoking exploration of ambition, personal limits, and the fine line between professional success and self-betrayal. The film poignantly explores how ambition can cloud self-awareness. Julia is not malicious. She is simply caught in a cycle where professional validation takes precedence over personal relationships. Elliott, in contrast, serves as a counterbalance. He has clear boundaries and respects his own space, something Julia struggles with. His discomfort when she oversteps shows the importance of knowing when to say no.
Real Faces is a deeply human story thanks to Buysse’s nuanced performance of someone who is truly at a crossroads. Hughes forces her audience to reflect on their boundaries and the sacrifices that they would make to succeed. Are we willing to admit that we have also sacrificed personal relationships to achieve some greater goal? Are our boundaries worth sacrificing? Real Faces is a thoughtful, compelling, and beautifully acted film that is fully aware of how hard it is to find a balance in a world that can be at times demanding of us.
