PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE Trailer
An age-old story of forbidden love unfolds in Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the latest from writer/director Céline Sciamma.
Set in 18th century France, the film follows Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a painter commissioned to make the wedding portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). If the far away suitor is pleased with her appearance then the marriage will be on, but the young woman has no interest in the match. To disrupt the process she’s refused to sit for the portrait, so Marianne must do her work covertly, posing as a companion and making her observations on the sly. So basically Marianne is taking stock of Héloïse’s intimate details without the formal distance of a working relationship. What could possibly go wrong?
You may know Sciamma from her previous arthouse darlings Tomboy and Girlhood, and if you don’t, you should probably rectify that. Those intimate dives into everyday life seem like the perfect preparation for Portrait, which promises to let the romance blossom languidly but intensely as the young women grow close.
That intense focus means much of the weight of this film will fall on Merlant and Haenel as the two lovers, and while they may not be well known on the international stage, both sport an impressive resume of French films. Their performances, along with pretty much everything about the film, has received effusive praise during the movie’s festival run, so make a note to see this one as soon as you can.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is directed Céline Sciamma and stars Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel. It will be released in the US on December 6th, 2019. For international release dates, click here.
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