#TIFF19: “PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

In 18th-Century Britain, Artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is hired to paint a portrait of dissatisfied soon-to-wed Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). The two begin falling for each other.

Like the best Romance films, Portrait of a Lady on Fire tells a tale of forbidden love. What sets this Film apart from those before is the interwoven story of Art. In using Art as the start of their romance Screenwriter Céline Sciamma poses questions about the gaze: what it means to be truly seen and what it means to truly see. This romance is brought to the screen with mesmerizing chemistry between its two leads who steadily build their bond with every line of dialogue.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire screens at TIFF on Thu, Sep 5 at Winter Garden Theatre at 9:15 PM and Fri, Sep 6 at Winter Garden Theatre at 3 PM.