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Portrait of a Lady on Fire

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire

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Summary

Romantic period drama starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel. In 18th-century Brittany, artist Marianne is hired to covertly paint a portrait of noblewoman Heloïse, a reluctant bride-to-be who has outsmarted prior attempts. Marianne poses as Heloïse's companion in order to observe her and create sketches, but as the women spend more time together, they grow closer and Marianne's secret project threatens to be revealed.

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Calum Baker

Céline Sciamma's striking period tale is an utterly arresting slow burner. In 1760, artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) arrives on a remote island in Brittany where she's been commissioned to paint reluctant bride-to-be Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). But as the wilful Héloïse has eluded all previous portrait attempts, Marianne is forced to pose as her companion, making mental sketches during the day and working on her picture at night. Eventually, with all those snatched glances on their long walks, a passionate romance evolves between the two women. This is a sophisticated and highly cinematic tale of gazing, desire and social constraint, played perfectly by the leads and filmed as if itself an exquisite painting. Sciamma's screenplay is consciously subtle and the soundtrack unobtrusive, but Claire Mathon's vivid camerawork ensures the story's emotions remain clear, heightened and, at times, rapturous. With elements of the surreal and supernatural dotted in among the erotic, the film's panoply of extraordinary images adds up to a haunting melancholic masterclass.

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8.0/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameMarianneNoémie MerlantHéloïseAdèle HaenelSophieLuàna BajramiThe CountessValeria GolinoLa faiseuse d'angesChristelle BarasL'eleve atelierArmande BoulangerL'homme salonGuy DelamarcheLe batelierClément Bouyssou

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Crew

rolenameDirectorCéline Sciamma

Details

Theatrical distributor

Curzon

Released on

2020-02-28

Languages

Italian | French

Guidance

nudity

Formats

Colour

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