Portrait Of a Lady On Fire

So after wanting to see this film for actual MONTHS, I've finally been able to watch it! And oh my ever-living god. All that hype was accurate. All the accolades at Cannes. I have never been more thoroughly wrung out by a film so entangled in the intricacies of the female gaze. I question the lack all the time but this film made me ache, absolutely ACHE and PINE for more films by women, for women, and about women. I'm just...I'm speechless. It's a feast for the senses. Art has culminated in a film like this. It's indescribably layered and deliberate, with images and narratives that are shone in one light and then flung into another to great, emotional effect. There is no discernable soundtrack except Vivaldi (best choice ever) and most of it are ambient sounds that frame and emphasize Noémie and Adèle's powerful acting --breathing, sighs, gasps, footsteps, creaking wooden floors, the howling bowels of a large, empty house, the scrapes of a painting brush against canvas, the wet swish of paint, the overwhelming crash of a violent, windy sea. There are nameless emotions in every frame, sweeping cinematography that ripens with meaning. Oh, I can go on. I've told friends this: it was a religious experience. It swept me away, churned so much in me, and then set me down gently, stripped to my sinews and bones. I highly, highly recommend it. I love this movie to no end. There were so many moments that robbed me of words and flooded me with feeling. If you have Hulu, please stream it immediately. If you have iTunes or Google Movies, it is worth every penny to rent or buy.

Simplisticly beautiful. Every scene in the film could be painted as a masterpiece, the lighting, the framing, the cinematography... This film has left me slightly obsessed! It's one of those movies that stole a part of me. My new favourite movie by a long shot. There's so much to love about Portrait of a lady on fire. What I love about this especially is the film is shot and acted from the female gaze. So there's so many beautiful subtle moments. Eye contact, gazing, small touches, smiles. Love

Exquisite and poetic meditation on love, longing and freedom. Sits deeply inside a woman's world. The weaving through of the mythic strand from Orpheus & Eurydice is both poignant and sublime. A rare gem. Breathtaking moments of wonder, artistry and loss.