"Portrait of a Lady on Fire" exceeded my expectations. I was intrigued by the trailer, but thought it might be a slow and boring movie. I was proven wrong. The story is well told and paced. There is no real fluff to this movie. The dialogue between the characters is plot moving and essential, there is very little exposition or unnecessary ranting by any of the characters. The acting is top-notch. The two female leads, Noemie Merlant and Adele Haenel, have remarkable chemistry. Celine Sciamma does a fantastic job directing this movie, getting every little necessary thing needed out of her actors. The plot is simple, a young painter struggles with love while painting another woman. Simple, yet effective. The writing for this movie is subliminal. Every character and moment has a purpose. The film feels very real. It is a beautifully shot movie as well, with some images being beautiful and others seemingly haunting. Additionally, this movie has one of the best endings I have seen in a romance movie. Great movie and a must-see for foreign language film fans. I give this film a 9/10.