This film is a "peinture d'époque" of French middle-class society, from 1865 to 1874. Berthe Morisot, born in 1841, is an adult women, yet still a minor for all significant purposes in that society and thus dependant on her parents who will encourage her to pursue painting, but little other activities that can easily become scandalous in that period. If only she would marry, but she's stubborn about choosing her painting over marriage as the latter would oblige her to abandon painting.
And that is about as far a dramatic story as can be gotten from this film. The acting is adequate, no complain there, and so is the filming. It's just that there isn't much happening, unless one is curious about the very prudent relationship between Morisot and Édouard Manet. The fault in the film is in the psychological development of the characters: there is none, no exploration of feelings, no explanation about the constraining mores of the time, nothing. Too bad, because Berthe Morisot was a great painter who deserved a better exposure.
And that is about as far a dramatic story as can be gotten from this film. The acting is adequate, no complain there, and so is the filming. It's just that there isn't much happening, unless one is curious about the very prudent relationship between Morisot and Édouard Manet. The fault in the film is in the psychological development of the characters: there is none, no exploration of feelings, no explanation about the constraining mores of the time, nothing. Too bad, because Berthe Morisot was a great painter who deserved a better exposure.