Renoir

As lovely and haunting as a painting by the Master himself, this exquisite film tells of the final years of Master painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It is 1915. Crippled by arthritis and mourning the loss of his wife, Renoir’s life is suddenly given a renewed purpose by the arrival of Andree, a beautiful young girl looking to model for him. She reinvigorates his artistic spirit and unsettles his female household staff. Andree is also a fiery, elemental spirit and renews the great painter’s struggles to overcome a failing body and produce art of honesty and passion. But Renoir’s son Jean, badly wounded in the war, has arrived home to convalesce. Andree casts a very different spell over him, throwing him into conflict not only with his father, but also with his patriotic determination to re-enlist and return to the front. Combining lush cinematography and outstanding performances, RENOIR is an exhibition not just for the eyes and mind, but for the heart as well. (In French and Italian with subtitles) – C.R.