When Céline Sciamma‘s fourth film Portrait of a Lady on Fire screened at Cannes in 2019, it made quite an impact, and quite rightly so. There are many elements worthy of praise, but the performances of Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel and its script are two of the reasons for its success. Both amalgamate to create a feeling of desire that allows the audience to empathise with what unfolds.

For anyone unfamiliar with Portrait of a Lady on Fire, it follows Marianne (Merlant), a painter who receives a commission to paint Héloïse (Haenel), a high society woman, who against her wishes is to be married off to a Milanese nobleman. Marianne acts as Héloïse’s companion to paint her because she has previously refused to pose for portraits due to her intense desire not to marry.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON CINECCENTRIC