this gorgeous, slow-burn lesbian romance works strongly enough on a surface level, one can hardly ignore the fact, as true then as it is now, that the world looks different when seen through a woman's eyes
Noemie Merlant and Adele Haenel star as a painter and her subject in Celine Sciamma's devastatingly unforgettable story of love and memory; "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" is a profoundly tender story about the process of self-discovery and becoming
in Celine Sciamma's gifted hands, the film escapes cliche and becomes something glorious - a study of forbidden love that grandly highlights how much has been lost under the crush of hetero patriarchy; a film that truly earns the term exquisite
both Adele Haenel and Noemie Merlant sensationally good. Merlant's piercing gaze, her strength and her wit are all on display, but perhaps it is Haenel, whose initial emotional numbness melts into passion who will gain the most plaudits
"Portrait of a Lady on Fire" is really a portrait of a mutual, slow-motion seduction, and it seduces its audience just as gradually and effectively, pulling us into its old world with the beauty of its images and the quiet efficiency of its storytelling
by John Bleasdale [CineVue ]
