Renoir

Set on the French Riviera during the summer of 1915, Gilles Bourdos' Gallic domestic drama revolves around the renowned impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Michel Bouquet)—then an ailing, 74-year-old widower—and his middle son, 21-year-old Jean (Vincent Rottiers), who returns to the family estate at Cagnes-sur-Mer on crutches to convalesce after being wounded in World War I. The arrival of radiant, free-spirited teenager Andrée Heuschling (Christa Theret) invigorates the elder Renoir and intoxicates young Jean, who is destined to make acclaimed films such as Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game. As the story evolves, beautiful Andrée becomes the father's last model and the son's first wife. Based on a novelized biography by Jacques Renoir (the great-grandson of Pierre-Auguste and grandson of Jean's actor brother, Pierre), Renoir features 73 paintings by the master, although in actuality the works shown here are by the convicted French art forger Guy Ribes (when the camera focuses on the elder Renoir's arthritic hand applying paint to canvas, it's really the hand of Ribes). Sensual, sophisticated, and visually sumptuous, this should particularly appeal to art lovers. Recommended. (S. Granger)