sexualised nudity
2019 ( France ) ( Drama, Romance )
(French with English Subtitles)
DIRECTOR: Céline Sciamma
STARRING: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami
It is 1770. Marianne (Noémie Merlant) has been commissioned to paint a portrait of a young noblewoman, Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), intended for the inspection of a prospective husband in Italy. Only recently out of a convent, not at all wanting to be married off, Héloïse angrily refuses to sit for this picture and has already seen off one male would-be portraitist. So Marianne travels to the remote island off the coast of Brittany, where Héloïse lives with her mother, in the guise of a companion for her, so as to be able to observe her closely enough to paint her portrait surreptitiously. But as Marianne watches and works, she falls in love with the moody and elusive Heloise.
Winner of a coveted Cannes prize and one of the best reviewed films of the year, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a pitch-perfect blend of exquisite visual storytelling and raw emotion, with two indelible performances from its lead actresses.
(2hr 2min)