Marc Cros, an elderly sculptor, lives with his wife Lea in the south of France, safe from the War that rages in the distance. Read more …
He seems to have reached the end of his life and of his art. One day, Léa gives shelter to a beautiful young Spanish political refugee named Mercè. Marc soon understands that the girl, who agrees to pose for him, inspires him and that he has no choice but to embark on this last artistic (and sensual) adventure...
There’s less to this than meets the eye, but it’s an engaging dawdle.
Shot in magisterial black-and-white, veteran director Trueba's drama is a welcome return from the Belle Epoque man.
Shot in black and white, the film pays as much loving attention to the natural world as it does to the body of the model.
This elegantly composed black-and-white drama suffers from the same problem afflicting the elderly sculptor referred to in the title: a lack of inspiration.
While these ruminations on life, death, art and suchlike don’t necessarily say anything original, they’re nonetheless uttered eloquently; factor in sumptuous monochrome cinematography and an all-too-brief role for Claudia Cardinale as Rochefort’s wife, and you’ve got yourself a stately triumph.
Beautifully shot in black and white The Artist And The Model offers a mature, touching reflection on the eternal bonds between art and life.
In the absence of much dramatic heft, its complacent beauty soon wears off.
Daniel Vilar's handsome monochrome photography is very easy on the eye, and Rochefort remains one of the few performers who can make the act of pouring olive oil on to bread seem significant, even metaphysical.
A skilfully sculptured ditty.
The story has meaty concerns – the artist's quest for inspiration, the place of art in a world at war – but its leisurely pace too often feels like padding.
General release. Check local listings for show times.