This Chilean drama tells the story of Bruno (Francisco Celhay), who has separated from his wife and is forced to confront his life-long confusion over his sexuality when he meets Fer (Emilio Edwards), an openly gay travel guide with whom he feels an instant connection.įacing up to the complications of a sexuality not so easily defined as "straight" or "gay", In the Gray is tender and nuanced, with all the romance and heartbreak required for a truly immersive Valentine's watch. Portrait of a Lady on Fire review by Eva Mackevic There’s just one catch: she needs to do it without her subject’s knowledge. As the two grow closer, the task becomes an increasingly challenging one.
The premise couldn’t be simpler: a painter arrives on a hostile island to undertake a wedding portrait of a young woman who just left the convent. This French film is a spiky, sensual drama about a romance between two women on a remote island in Brittany, which revels in its ultra-femininity, alluring subtext and doesn't give a trace of a damn about including a single man with any real agency or purpose in its story.įrench director, Celine Sciamma’s work is a clever, fiery celebration of female friendship in all its complexity, as well as a masterclass in tastefully handled symbolism, with analogies to the haunting ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice delicately tracing the entire film. When Dot's grandaughter decides it's time to send her now-blind grandmother to a retirement home for full-time care, Dot hatches a plan to steal her lover away to Canada, where they can finally get married.