La Belle Noiseuse

Accolades are in order for Jacques Rivette, who has alternately provoked, puzzled, eluded and dazzled audiences with his unconventional approach to cinema. With LA BELLE NOISEUSE, Rivette has distilled the enigmatic creative process into its basic elements, from inception to completion.

Edouard Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli) is a renowned painter in the throes of artistic withdrawal. A decade earlier he laid aside his brush and, suffering from a profound creative block, has not painted since. Since then, Frenhofer has been living quietly on a country estate with his wife and former model Liz (Jane Birkin). His last project, left unfinished, is entitled "La Belle No...