BONNARD: PIERRE & MARTHE

THREE STARS The love story of painter Pierre Bonnard and his muse, Marthe.

PERIOD DRAMA FRANCE French #BONNARD

Starring Vincent Macaigne, Cécile de France

One of the themes that binds the career of French director Martin Provost is exploring the idea of what binds people together. As he did in 2020’s HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE, he does with the provocative painting couple Pierre and Marthe Bonnard. They met young, fell hopelessly in love and lived out their days together. He painted, she modelled, he painted more, she became his muse, he painted a lot, she kept house, he kept a mistress and moved out, she started painting and stayed put, he dropped the other woman, returned to Marthe and, many years after their first chance meeting, they got married. Such was their lives amid the fiery Parisian scene in the first half of the 20th century. 

As far as biopics go, BONNARD: PIERRE & MARTHE doesn’t cover much in the way of new territory and reveals little that couldn’t be gleaned from Wikipedia. Professionally at least. Emotionally, Provost is on fresher ground as he explores they robust dynamic between the couple (then thruple) and their assorted creative friends that included Claude Monet among others. Their relationships are a spring board for his big idea; that love of the subject is a cornerstone of art. Without it, or once taken for granted, the work is meaningless. It’s why Marthe appears in well over half of Pierre’s paintings.

The theme is well realised by Provost who injects enormous energy into the expert storytelling. He’s well served by Vincent Macaigne as Pierre and the always excellent Cécile de France as Marthe, both of whom are scene-stealing throughout. Even when the story begins to drag on toward the end, they ensure it remains, if not enthralling at least captivating. If you like your period films served with spritely energy and a wry sense of humour, you’d do much worse than spending a couple of hours in the company of Pierre and Marthe Bonnard.

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