40 out of 44 people found the following review helpful:

?????

steviebobs from , 7th October, 2004

This was probably a very intelligent film, but (despite being as sharp as a tack) it went over my head somewhat and frankly I wasn't about to devote another 4 hours of my life to trying to work it out.
Basic story is that pretty girl (headcase)'s boyfriend (upcoming artist) decide that she should pose in the buff for an old, talented artist. Many hours of film pass with him doodling away and her contorting herself. As an adolescent, I would have particularly enjoyed the abundance of minge and norks, but alas now I have moved on to more graphic things.

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16 out of 16 people found the following review helpful:

Definately an aquired taste

Dave Lawrie from Hull, England, 20th February, 2005

La Belle Noiseuse is a movie about art and obsession. It is incredibly long and very slow, so avoid it if you are into action or cannot sit through something for more than half an hour. Still here? Well, there are sequences in this film that are literally 20mins long and all you see in that time is a stylus scratching on paper. The slow process of art is lovingly filmed in long takes as you literally see a drawing take shape in front of your eyes, only for it to be screwed up and for the artist to start again after a pain-stakingly slow half hour shot. This type of film will bore most people but excite some who can understand its achievements. I was one of those people. If you are not, I wouldnt bother with it, you'll hate it. Still here? Its in french with subtitles. Still here? Good, give it a go then.

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13 out of 19 people found the following review helpful:

Not for everyone

lizzard1138 from Yorkshire, 3rd February, 2004

La Belle Noiseuse isn’t one of those all time classics that you would recommend to anyone. The first thing you will notice is that it’s particularly long – well over four hours in fact (including an intermission). This isn’t in itself a wholly bad thing, as films such as Peter Jackson’s "Lord of the Rings" have proved that modern audiences are willing to far outstay a typical running time of about two hours, but whereas Peter Jackson’s epics carry you along at an unimaginable pace and are filled with character and plot development, "La Belle Noiseuse" does very little at all. You will perhaps enjoy the film most if you are especially interested in art, or more particularly, the long process of sketching and drawing art, which is present here with virtually no cuts. Although interesting, the actual drama involving the artists and their partners is far more compelling, which is placed here almost as an afterthought. It is easy to see why the camera dwells on the painting as this is a film about an artist struggling to make his long-forgotten masterpiece and we are invited to share the painful, at times hopeless journey, but it feels unnecessary at times, even boring, and the result is French cinema at its most stereotypical. I would recommend watching Jacques Rivette’s next project, "Diveritimento", instead, which is comprised completely of outtakes from this film and runs at a more bearable two hours.

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8 out of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Demanding, but rewarding...

A Customer from Scotland, 18th January, 2005

A strange, haunting and sometimes difficult film, La Belle Noiseuse is really about the creative act. We're treated to long sections in which the artist is shown to be working out his strategy for the painting, or throwing out old ideas that don't work out. And yet the film as a whole works! It's a hugely demanding, but also very rewarding film to watch. Emmanuelle Beart has nothing to do except pose, mostly naked, and she does that exceptionally well. But the focus is on the artist, and the end of the film (without giving anything away) is both satisfying and dramatically effective. Nothing could be further from Hollywood, and if that's a problem, then choose another film. If you like your cinema to be thoughtful, innovative and enlightening, La Belle Noiseuse is a minor masterpiece.

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Classically French

A Customer from UK, 3rd September, 2009

A rural setting. Sexually charged atmosphere. Full frontal nudity- the end.

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as interesting as watching paint dry!

A Customer from UK, 9th June, 2009

I usually like French films but this was so tedious it nearly made me weep. A not very 'arty' art film about a mediocre artist... with weak self indulgent characters, forced dialogue ( I'm sure the French speak in joined up sentences sometimes?) & a non existent plot. Painting your ceiling white & watching it dry will probably be more interesting & thought provoking!

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La Belle Noiseuse

Yazoss from , 20th April, 2009

This was a bit of a pretentious slow burner...I must confess I couldn't take if after 45 minutes. Nothing happens, the acting is (apparently purposefully) wooden to say the least. I really wouldn't rate this film at all. Sorry.

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*** May contain spoilers ***

So French --- stylistic but intensely egotistical

Forpor from , 25th March, 2009

An over long (2 disc) film -- inspite of the beauty of the 'domestic' setting and the coiled sexuality of E. Beart... The desperate self indulgence of artist and model was ultimately destructive. An idea with some merit descended into near farce --- where was the elan?

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