Review of La Belle Noiseuse (1991) by Nick S — 08 Jul 2010

This lovely French film, whose title means "the beautiful nut" or "pain in the butt," takes four hours to show the inner workings of a painter whose ingenue is played by Emmanuelle Beart, in a lively performance.

Rivette has outdone himself, and he couldn't have selected a more beautiful subject for a painting which ends up being Frenhofer's masterpiece. The plot elements of jealousy and a light bit of comedy (though very, very sparse) and also the entire undertaking of showing a painter at work, is largely affected by beautiful cinematography.

The director and lead actress deserve high acclaim. It is no surprise to me that this film won second prize at Cannes. See it and be changed, IMHO. I loved it - four stars! Patience with this one, though as it is very long.