Don't regret. Remember.
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.
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Character
Prestige, intimate, contemplative and grave.
- unpretentiousprestige
- intimateepic
- contemplativerelentless
- gravecomic
- rawmeticulous
Who loves it, who doesn't
21 profiled raters. Loved most by The Provocateurs; disliked most by The Thrill Chasers.
Where do you stand?
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“Is Noémie Merlant the best thing in Portrait of a Lady on Fire?”
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“Is this Céline Sciamma's best work?”
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“Is Portrait of a Lady on Fire emotionally manipulative?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- beyondthecineramadomeon TMDB · Jun 202210/10
Full review: <a>https://www.tinakakadelis.com/beyond-the-cinerama-dome/2021/12/28/paint-me-like-one-of-your-french-girls-portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire-review<a> Celine Sciamma’s fourth feature film, _Portrait of a Lady on Fire_, is a triumph. Few romance movies capture the totality of love, loss, and remembrance in the way Sciamma does in this film. The story is simple: Marianne (Noémie Merlant) has been hired to paint a portrait of Heloise (Adèle Haenel) to be sent to the Milanese nobleman she is to marry. He will not marry her until he sees what she looks like. Other artists have tried and failed to paint Heloise, but she has resisted because she doesn’t want to be married. Marianne pretends to be Heloise’s walking companion, all the while studying Heloise so she can paint her in secret. Eventually, though, Marianne’s secret is revealed and Heloise agrees to sit for her.
Read the whole review on TMDB - Louisa Moore - Screen Zealotson TMDB · Mar 202010/10
Céline Sciamma, writer and director of “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” calls her period film a “manifesto on the male gaze.” This is the most accurate, elegant description of her story of a romance between two French women in the late 1700s. This is an impeccably detailed, beautifully acted, refined drama with a strong feminist angle that’s as stirring as it is thought-provoking. Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), a young woman who has just left the convent. Because Héloïse is a very reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne arrives under the guise of companionship, observing the smallest of details about the woman by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. As the two women spend their days with one another, intimacy and attraction grow, and the portrait becomes a symbol of the intensity of their love. The lead performances are mannered and structured in the most effective way. The strong desire between the two women is manifested in a gaze or careful examination of a wisp of hair or the way Héloïse crosses her hands. There’s a quiet intensity to the emotional and physical intimacy between these two women, making this
Read the whole review on TMDB - SWITCH.on TMDB · Aug 201910/10
As the credits began to roll on ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’, I was practically incapable of moving or speaking. Every time I didn’t think the film could possibly get any better, Céline Sciamma elevated it to even greater, more incomprehensible heights, culminating in one of the most extraordinary moments in 21st-century cinema. This is a rare and precious film, breathtaking in its craft and intensely honest in its passions. This is a film that aches, that longs, that dances in ecstasy and raises its hands to the sky, angelic and ferocious and perfect. Simply put, ’Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is a masterpiece, and one of the best films of this or any year. - Daniel Lammin Read Daniel's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire-a-perfect-film-on-the-language-of-desire
Read the whole review on TMDB
Cast
- Noémie MerlantMarianne
- Adèle HaenelHéloïse
- Luàna BajramiSophie
- Valeria GolinoLa Comtesse
- Christel BarasLa faiseuse d'ange
- Armande BoulangerL'élève atelier
- Guy DelamarcheL'homme salon
- Clément BouyssouLe batelier
Crew
- Céline SciammaDirector
- Céline SciammaScreenplay
- Claire MathonDirector of Photography
- Arthur SimoniniOriginal Music Composer
- Para OneOriginal Music Composer
- Julien LacherayEditor
- Bénédicte CouvreurProducer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
Call Me by Your Name 201778% alikeBoth prestige, contemplative, intimate.
Jimmy P. 201376% alikeBoth contemplative, prestige, grave.
The World to Come 202174% alikeBoth prestige, contemplative, grave.
In the Mood for Love 200074% alikeBoth prestige, contemplative, intimate.
On Chesil Beach 201873% alikeBoth intimate, prestige, grave.
Letter from an Unknown Woman 194873% alikeBoth grave, prestige, intimate.
Brief Encounter 194573% alikeBoth intimate, contemplative, earnest.
Roma 201872% alikeBoth prestige, contemplative, grave.
The Remains of the Day 198971% alikeBook · Both contemplative, prestige, intimate.
To the Moon 201164% alikeGame · Both contemplative, intimate, grave.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
