20 Best Movie Performances Of 2019
4. Noémie Merlant - Portrait Of A Lady On Fire
French historical drama Portrait Of A Lady On Fire presents surely the most full-hearted, warm-blooded love story of the year, a forbidden affair between an aristocrat, Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), and Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a painter commissioned to paint a portrait of her.
The film as a whole is a remarkable picture of slow-burn subtlety, and per the movie's unspoken anxieties, Merlant is asked to convey much of Marianne's burning desire through nothing more than facial expressions.
Despite the film's overall restraint, it nevertheless presents the year's sexiest depiction of unbridled lust, and opposite Haenel, Merlant is a fantastic picture of bright-burning need.
Though there's little prospect of Merlant scoring major awards love for the part, it's an unforgettable turn all the same.