🖼 Happy Saturday! While we’re all inside this weekend, I thought I’d give you a b-b-b-bonus recommendation.
Today’s movie is Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), streaming on Hulu, a French romance released by Neon (the distributor that brought us Parasite) and one of my favorite movies of last year.
Directed by Céline Sciamma // ⏱ 120 mins // 🎭 Romance
Here’s what it’s about:
In the late 18th century, an artist (Noémie Merlant) is tasked with painting the portrait of a young bride (Adèle Haenel). Over their week together, the two form a friendship — and maybe something more. [Trailer]
Why you should watch it:
Anyone that has had a crush or a mutual unspoken attraction knows the feelings that Sciamma communicates in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Your heart skipping a beat when they walk into a room, the lump in your throat when they talk to you, the longing. However, she pays as much attention to the physicality of desire as she does the feeling. The movie is littered with stolen glances, awkward exchanges that come off as aloofness, and soft (maybe intentional) touches.
The movie’s plot slowly burns as the pair determine what is the truth. Then, when they allow themselves to fall so do you. The stunning and melancholic ending acts as both a lesson and warning to would-be lovers that brings up a favorite scene from another queer romance movie, “is it better to speak or die?” Choose to speak.
📺 Buy or Rent: Portrait of a Lady on Fire is only available to stream on Hulu. It is scheduled to be released for digital rental in April.
That’s all for today. Do something out of the ordinary (indoors) this weekend and don’t forget to check in on each other!
See you Monday!
Karl (@karl_delo)