Portrait Of A Lady On Fire Movie Review: An exquisite love story that will stand the test of time

STORY: In 18th century France, on a remote island in Brittany, a female painter Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is hired for a wedding portrait of a reluctant young woman Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) by her mother. Heloise refuses to be painted as she isn’t willing to get married. Marianne must observe her in secret to paint her without her knowledge. REVIEW: Metaphorical and melancholic, Céline Sciamma’s masterpiece is a slow burn period romance that takes its time to draw you in. But once it does, there’s no looking back. Unhurried and haunting, the film’s biggest strength is the balance it strikes between silences and words; light and darkness, intimacy and distance. The screenplay gorgeously alternates between deep conversation, simmering gaze and pent up emotions, allowing you to observe two people closely, as they fall in love. Their connect isn’t restricted to physical attraction or celebrating their differences but the anguish and inner turmoil they have long concealed from the world. One can draw parallels between this film and Luca Guadagnino’s heartfelt Call Me by Your Name. Heloise is like the wide-eyed Elio who falls for Oliver (Marianne here) and doesn’t mind seducing her love interest unabashedly with her words. Both Marianne and Elio fall for people who know more about life and art than they do. Like Luca’s protagonists, this film too revolves around parting lovers who wonder why they wasted so much time before confessing their love for each other. Both films capture love as an universal sentiment without harping on sexuality. Love is love. Claire Mathon’s incredible cinematography and the film’s sound design makes it an immersive watch. Every frame looks like an ethereal painting. Isolated island, roaring waves crashing against the windswept hills, faces illuminated by candle light, crackling fireplaces and approaching footsteps on wooden floor... Mathon ensures you are transported back in time and into Heloise’s ancient house. Other than flawless performances, the writing needs to be acknowledged. Céline Sciamma’s poignant screenplay and words reverberate in your mind, long after you’ve seen the movie. “Do all lovers feel like they are inventing something?”, Héloïse asks Marianne. They talk in a language that lovers do, interpret books, poetry and paintings like lovers do. Art imitates life so at one point they are forced to make a crucial decision about their life, just like the people in the poem they’d read and discussed. To turn around or move on, regret or remember? Portrait of a Lady on Fire is an exquisite piece of artistic cinema, that will stay with you for years to come.