At 25, Berthe dreams of making a living from her painting, to never marry, and to always stay with her sister Edma. Her parents do not see things from the same angle and are already shaping her a higher destiny.
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The film and the narrative, in my view, remains faithful to the life of the painter. Many of the frames being like an impressionist painting added depth and character to the film. I would like to watch again.
A strong lead turn by Marine Delterme stands out in this mostly 'by the numbers' portrait of artist Berthe Morisot whose work would emerge as part of the impressionist movement. By focusing on her infatuation with the artist Manet the film fails at capturing the passion of her artistry. Faring better is the relationship with her sister well played by Alice Butaud.
It was okay. I had higher expectations. Morisot is one of the few women artists to really make a name for herself among the Impressionists but instead of focusing on her life and identity as a painter, this film was too caught up in looking at her relationship with Manet and her role as his muse. I wanted to see Morisot as a woman artist with agency, power, and vision. I didn't get that.
Beautifully sensitive take on a biography. This film is so emotional, intimate and charming. I guess I wished it was more focused on Berthe Morisot as an artist, but this really (and surprisingly?) works well as it is. You can tell this film was directed by a woman, it reminds me so much of the subtle tone of Agnès Varda's documents. Don't expect a dry, historical style biography and you shouldn't be disappointed!
Although a story about a sullen rich lady could easily be trite and irritating, this account of Morisot's restricted, domestic life before she became famous is both self-aware and enjoyable to watch. Weaving together the colours, music, and political events of the time, the director puts you into the mindset that produced some of the most beautiful impressionist works in history.
The tedium of the plot, depth of character, and the trite weakness of the war backdrop made this film incredibly lacklustre and difficult to sit through. Even if Morisot was a relatively famous figure in the impressionist movement, this film did that no justice, depicting her as a lifeless, tragic loss of a female protagonist.