Episode 736 - Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)

Hi everyone!

Today we’re welcoming back Keith Lyons for another review. We’re batting cleanup this month with a few Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE was recently re-released in US theaters, and we’re lucky to have Keith on the case. Of course, we’ll just have to forget about that whole finding Keith an English-language film thing from last time. For a few other recent reviews from Keith, check out HONEYLAND (Episode #715), LES MISERABLES (Episode #680), and ATLANTICS (Episode #669).

Before the review, we’ll have a promo from our good friends Aicila and Erik at Bicurean. Every episode, they explore a different topic, looking for the underlying issues, and finding common ground whenever possible. You can find them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @bicurean, or check them out at bicurean.com. Be sure to like, follow, rate, and subscribe! And don’t forget to check out their recent guest review for FROZEN II (Episode #685). They’ve been huge supporters of One Movie Punch over the past year, and we cannot recommend them enough! A promo will run before the review.

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Here we go!

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Hi, Philly Film Fan here with another review for One Movie Punch. You can follow me on Twitter @PhillyFilmFan.

Today’s movie is PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE(2019), the 18th century French drama written and directed by Céline Sciamma. I wasn’t able to catch PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE when it played the Philadelphia Film Festival but I’m delighted to be catching up with it now.

No spoilers.

Since its debut at Cannes, where it won Best Screenplay and a Queer Palm, PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE has continued to rack up awards, nominations, and accolades, including Best Foreign Language nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAS. It was also nominated for 10 Césars (France’s equivalent to an Oscar) but only managed one win for cinematography. The top prize went to LES MISÉRABLES (Episode #680) and if you’d like to hear my review of that film, check out episode 680 of One Movie Punch.

But the big headline from this year’s César Awards was definitely the announcement of Roman Polanski’s win for best director, immediately followed by Adèle Haenel leading the entire PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE team as they walked out of the theater in protest. Haenel has been an outspoken critic of the French film industry’s tepid response to the #MeToo movement and Roman Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year-old child. You might be wondering: What is wrong with the people in charge of the César Awards? And while we don’t have time to get into that now, I can tell you that the entire board of directors resigned a month ago.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE begins on a rowboat, with Marianne (Noémie Merlant) making a journey to a small island off the coast of Brittany in France. Marianne is an artist and she has been commissioned to paint a portrait of Héloïse, played by the aforementioned Adèle Haenel. But when Marianne arrives she discovers that Héloïse refuses to sit for a portrait, and that Marianne must pretend to be Héloïse’s companion, in order to observe her, then retire to her room to paint Héloïse’s face by memory. This is all necessary to marry Héloïse off to a Milanese nobleman, a scheme concocted by Héloïse’s mother, La Comtesse (Valeria Golino)... you know, from HOT SHOTS! ...and BIG TOP PEE-WEE! ...and HOT SHOTS PART DEUX!

The relationship between Marianne and Héloïse is central to PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE. Héloïse is a member of the nobility, but her privilege comes at a price. She is treated by her mother like a helpless child, and is not even permitted to go for a walk unsupervised. Héloïse’s entire life has been mapped out for her, and she must marry a man she has never even met because it is her duty to strengthen her family’s position. Marianne, on the other hand, is a woman of modest means, but she has the freedom to pursue her career as an artist. This job requires her to closely observe Héloïse, so that she can capture her essence on canvas. Héloïse is accustomed to being watched by the help, but before Marianne arrived she had never really been seen. As the two get to know each other, an intimacy develops between them and here, on this sparsely inhabited island, practically at the ends of the earth, they create a space where they feel like the only two souls in the world.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE is a gorgeously photographed film about two women forming an intense bond. And, like all the best romances, it is tinged with the sadness of knowing that our time here is limited, and that all things must come to an end. But melancholy is a much deeper emotion than happiness could ever be.

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 95 (MUST SEE)

One Movie Punch: 9.0/10

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (2019) is rated Rand is currently playing in theaters.

This jawn was brought to you by Philly Film Fan. For more movie reviews, follow me on Twitter @PhillyFilmFan where I’m participating in the #366Movies challenge. That’s P-H-I-L-L-Y-F-I-L-M-F-A-N. Thanks for listening.