You ever find yourself staring at a bonfire? Just zoning out and watching the flame change every second, feeling the heat, the energy, the anger, the tension, you get what I’m saying. It’s a beautifully hypnotic thing, and that’s exactly what Portrait of a Lady on Fire is. The only difference being that this brought me to tears in ways a bonfire never could.

“do all lovers feel they’re inventing something?”

the clandestine stealing of forbidden glances. the thankless task of trying to tamp a lover’s image into the folds of your brain. the dread of said image’s inevitable fading. the smoldering slow-burn of impossible yearning, and the explosive fireworks when it’s finally reciprocated. the sizzling sound of a final farewell.

director céline sciamma packs each frame with tangible emotion, and she does it all without a manipulative score. we know exactly what to feel at all times, purely on the merit of the leads’ magnetic performances and claire mathon’s luscious cinematography. music is only utilized sparsely (through vivaldi, and through a choral latin chant), and it’s all diegetic, which preserves the film’s veracity. the perfect song seldom plays during our most formative moments, and the perfect person seldom enters our lives at the right time. but sometimes, if we’re lucky enough, they can overlap.

No spoilers but I didn’t breathe for the last few minutes of this movie

CIFF 2019: film #2

“he doesn’t make the lover’s choice, but the poet’s”

my body is still visibly shaken, and i cried the entire duration. i haven’t been this moved by a film in years. not only is it exquisitely made, but the emotional toll it took on me is almost damaging. yearning personified: seen through the stokes of a paintbrush, or across the flames of a fire. crushing and beautiful and fleeting. sometimes all that’s left is the memory, but the memory stays. that last shot is going to haunt me

its come to my attention that women are the only people who know how to make movies

“not everything is fleeting. some feelings are deep”

i finally figured it out. many times when i watch a new favorite film, it adds something to my life, a new, additional piece of me. with this, it calmly settles down in a special empty space in my heart, an emptiness that’s been eagerly waiting for it to come along. it makes me feel more complete. going forward, i’m thankful i get to carry this with me now. it fits so naturally that it feels like it’s always been there, and now it always will be

“You asked me if I’ve ever known love, and I said yes because I knew this was it.”

There are few films that can truly capture the journey towards being lovers. The awkward, unsure glances... the longing gazes, the flirtatious and playful advances... and finally, the first physical touch. You could feel the tension between the two protagonists throughout the cinema as they fell in love. And even as you rooted for this love, the melancholy of knowing it was destined to end didn’t stop us from wanting this love to blossom. Just like the main characters, we wanted the poet’s choice.

This film was exceptionally written, wonderfully paced, and beautifully shot. Every line in the script had a purpose, everything connected and tied together. The reinterpretation of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice was devastating and exquisite all at once.

Watch this film!

Buen cine.

A visually stunning, heart breaking romance that had to end. I was swept away by every second. Don’t regret, remember 💔 🎨

Worth the wait. Also one of the best projections I've seen in a long time - everything was crystal clear and sharp, which just made the look of this movie even more striking. Cannot recommend highly enough.

I was mesmerised. I didn't realise it was in French till it ended.

End scene was wonderful (as was the whole film). Enjoyed the Eurydice parallels. Lover’s choice versus the poet’s choice.

i knew the final scene was coming and yet. and yet.

A look between the two of them says more than 1000 lines of dialogue.

Her eyes. The singing and chanting.