271 – Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Patreon Selects)

What this episode covers

Our Patreon Selects episodes continue this week with a pick from Audrey: the beloved 2019 lesbian romance Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The film launched at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Best Screenplay prize and skyrocketing director Céline Sciamma to the names of most beloved contemporary directors. However, when the Oscar race began, France instead chose to submit Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables for the International Feature race. Sciamma’s film still gained feverish fandom on the fall festival circuit and even more critical raves, but ultimately distributor Neon focused its awards campaign energies on fanning the flames of the Parasite moment. This episode, we talk about the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and Portrait’s delayed platform release that got abbreviated by COVID. We also discuss Adèle Haenel’s stunning enigmatic performance, the film where Noémie Merlant falls in love with a circus ride, and the case for Claire Mathon in Best Cinematography. Topics also include Louis Ironson’s poster’s disease, 2019 films directed by women, and the 2022 Sight and Sound poll. Follow Us on Twitter!@Had_Oscar_BuzzJoe: @joereidChris: @chrisvfeil