TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

SnoopyStyle Famed painter Edouard Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli) has been living in quiet secluded retirement with his model wife Liz (Jane Birkin) on a large country estate. They are visited by Marianne (Emmanuelle Béart), her artist boyfriend Nicolas, and an art dealer. Frenhofer is taken with the beautiful Marianne. She inspires him to restart his abandoned La Belle Noiseuse painting with the young nude model in long sessions.The plot is simple. The characterization is compelling but the movie is slow and it is extremely long. It is four freaking hours. This is more about the act of creating. Despite the extended scenes, the drawing process is quite riveting even when Béart isn't naked. There is a hypnotic feel watching him create something on the blank page. The movie is too long for most audiences. Painting may be fascinating but it's not worth sitting for four hours straight.

MisterWhiplash I remember years ago when I heard about this film, Rivette's La Belle Noiseuse, that it had basically a woman being naked for most of the run time - the context of course being that a man is painting from a life nude model - and it piqued my interest for the simple salacious aspect of it. And objectively speaking Emmanuelle Beart is an attractive woman with a good body. But if you're a man and only looking at this for the reasons that men go online to look at a lot of, well, videos, you're bound to be disappointed by the simple fact that Rivette is not out in the slightest to portray Beart that way (and, of course, I don't think Beart would have agreed to such a film, certainly not one of this length at four hours - and she is naked for a lot of screen time). The film is actually ABOUT something really, which is the artistic process itself.It's Rivette taking his time, showing painter Michel Piccoli trying to make his painting over several days, who is excellent and subtle and both intellectual and emotional with his character in revealing this artist to us (or, sometimes, holding back in equal measure), with Beart having a kind of mental/emotional tug of war with him. What does he want out of her? What does she want out of him? Is there any particular mind-game to speak of? With Rivette there always is, and if one sticks with the film, it pays off in dividends. I remember watching this twice and getting more out of it the second time, and it introduced me to the director's style of sitting back and not simply waiting for things to happen, but creating a certain mood where anything is possible - in this case, art about the creation of art, which is often tumultuous, even, indeed, kind of dull (but it'll only be dull to dull people).

zeetgyst I mostly enjoyed the experience of watching this film. I had an afternoon to kill. It was snowy outside but it was warm cozy and quiet inside. I had the few days off before so I was in a relaxed and comfortable in my comfortable cozy house.It is about a middle-aged and financially comfortable "Artist" living in beautiful surroundings. He doesn't need to paint to earn a living and apparently he needs to do very little in general. He has the ability to spend long periods of time doing nothing but indulging in his art. When the screen is not filled with images of a beautiful naked girl, it is filled with images of the idealized self-imagine of the artist< or would-be artist, as "Artist". One cannot but help draw parallels with the director himself. At that point in his career, established, comfortable and few practical limits on his ability to wallow in his "art". Although it has all the props of artistry and we are left of believe the artist has suffered for his art, the end product is merely pretty with no real tension or original insight. This film is to cinema what Kenny G is to Jazz. If you are in the right mood, you may find it pleasant to have on in the background while reading a book.

ruthierocks In his four hour drama La Belle Noiseuse, French filmmaker Jacques Rivette has painted a haunting portrayal of an artist, a model, and the effects that a work can have on those involved. It is a brave piece of film-making, featuring physical and emotional openness. The film moves very slowly, but is very much worth watching. La Belle Noiseuse allows us to watch the creation of a piece of art and how it can change a person. This is a true accomplishment. The actors are all very much on key and, with no real script, provide real and believable dialogue. Rivette paints these characters in a very human way: it's easy to imagine these people existing. There are no movie tricks. It's a truly naked film in that it offers such an intimate look into the hearts of the main characters. Anytime a film can do this, you know it's something special.La Belle Noiseuse revolves around two couples. Marianne and Nicolas are a young couple. Nicolas is an artist and has been invited to take a look at the studio of Frenhofer, a once revered and respected painter who has given up his art. While discussing a painting that Frenhofer never finished – the "La Belle Noiseuse" – Nicolas suggests that Frenhofer use Marianne as his model. Frenhofer agrees. However, Marianne is not very happy about this. She arrives at the studio very disheartened. As Frenhofer draws and paints her, the two of them get to know each other. Marianne's resentment falls away and she becomes more open with Frenhofer, doing as he says, asking him questions, posing how he'd like. Frenhofer wants to dig deeper. As a painter, he feels the need to really capture the essence of his model. His wife, Liz, was his last model. As a result of this need to dig deeper, he was forced to either give up painting or give up his wife. The film spends much of its four hour running time in the studio with Marianne and Frenhofer. Otherwise, there are scenes with Frenhofer and Liz, as well as with Liz and Nicolas, and Marianne and Nicolas, who are growing apart by the day.For those who can endure the extreme running time, La Belle Noiseuse is a fascinating film to watch. The characters, as I said before, are very real. Much of the film features Marianne (played by the lovely Emmanuelle Beart) posing nude. It's a bold performance for the actress, who must bear her soul as well as her body in order for the performance to be effective. She is absolutely wonderful, as is Michel Piccoli as the bitter painter. The only problem I have with the film is not that it's so long, but that much of it focuses on the drawing. There are five and ten minute scenes where the audience watches Frenhofer sketch and paint. It's fascinating at first, but eventually becomes a bit tedious. This should not steer anyone away, though. Anyone who can appreciate slow moving character studies should be fine.To sum up, I would recommend La Belle Noiseuse. However, a person should probably know what they are getting into prior to watching. The film is not for everyone. It takes patience to enjoy, but for those who can, it is very rewarding. Jacques Rivette is a truly revolutionary director. The other film I've seen from him, Celine and Julie Go Boating, is just as wonderful as La Belle Noiseuse, but is in a completely different universe. He is a very versatile, unique, and underrated director. La Belle Noiseuse shows this. It's a beautiful film.9/10