Renoir review

A painterly period piece

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You get two Renoirs for the price of one in Gilles Bourdos’ painterly period piece, which finds ailing artist Pierre-Auguste (Michel Bouquet) and his future filmmaker of a son Jean (Vincent Rottiers) deriving inspiration from the same feisty, flame-haired muse (Christa Theret).

Set in 1915 on Papa Renoir’s balmy Riviera estate, far removed from the ravages of war, it’s a film of lazy days, sleepless nights and mellow moments that will likely test the patience of those unwilling to resign to its unhurried pace.

Veteran French actor Bouquet brings a lifetime of experience to his arthritic old master, though, while the frequently unclad Theret captivates and exasperates in equal measure.

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Freelance Writer

Neil Smith is a freelance film critic who has written for several publications, including Total Film. His bylines can be found at the BBC, Film 4 Independent, Uncut Magazine, SFX Magazine, Heat Magazine, Popcorn, and more.