‘Bonnard: Pierre and Marthe’ is a portrait of the painter and his wife.

Admirers of world cinema should be elated with this French cinematic offering, an epic historical biography drama from multi-award-winning director Martin Provost, that should prove a crowd-pleaser at arthouse cinemas.

The story explores the love story between renowned post-Impressionist painter Pierre Bonnard and Marthe de Meligny, a woman deemed as ordinary but vastly influential. Pierre had no idea when he met her that they would spend 50 years together, and also that she would appear in one third of his artwork. Marthe was his wife, model and muse.

The movie details their life together from 1893 to 1942, his work, the jealousies, romantic entanglements and their bringing another woman into their relationship, which proved disastrous and ill-fated.

Visually stunning, an entrancing ambient atmosphere is remarkably produced through the sheer artistry in replicating the era, which compounds to the infusion of the art and romance elements in the movie.

Pierre painted Marthe’s body to perfection, but why did he always blur her face? He didn’t want children, was deeply immersed in his painting and his love for Marthe was genuine – but was she complicating his life?

Vincent Macaigne and Cecil de France are the principal players who portray Pierre and Marthe respectively. Their performances are awe-inspiring, bringing the characters to life on the big screen and it must be noted that Macaigne’s resemblance to the real Pierre Bonnard is uncanny.

Bonnard: Pierre and Marthe is a sublime production, enhanced by an enchanting musical score and may be deemed as a visual masterpiece.

Masterful in every aspect, this is a movie that also delves on how Pierre Bonnard revolutionised modern painting. Art and painting enthusiasts should be mesmerised by the lengthy sequences which depict him painting some of his famous works.

Ultimately, Pierre and Marthe’s love story was bittersweet – tragic that Pierre would, until his dying day, feel remorseful and extreme guilt for the death of a loved one.

★★★★

In cinemas now.