Period Drama

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (A-minus) - This exquisite visual feast tells the delectable story of two young women surreptitiously falling in love in late 18th century Brittany. The story is told in one big flashback. Marianne (Noemie Merlant), an art teacher, has her memory sparked by her painting of a woman whose dress is on fire. That woman turns out to be Heloise (Adele Haenel), who has been promised to a Milanese man, though she objects and has refused to sit to have her portrait painted and sent to her betrothed.

Marianne is brought to the coastal town ostensibly as Heloise's companion, but she is to study Heloise and secretly paint the portrait. Thus, Marianne must keenly observe her subject, and soon their gazes deepen. Heloise agrees to sit for the portrait, as a torrid love affair ensues.

This is not just a story of forbidden love. It is a profound dissertation on the unique rush one gets in the early stages of infatuation. It is directed by Celine Sciamma, the pre-eminent auteur studying the female form and psyche, including "Water Lilies," "Tomboy" and "Girlhood." Here she fills every frame with beauty and style, love and lust. Merlant and Haenel are wholesome beauties who emit a slight vibe of Friday night premium-cable soft-core porn, but Sciamma's film rises above the tacky at every turn, producing a heart-swelling and heart-wrenching love story for the ages.

EMMA (C+) - I guess you're either into these Jane Austen romps or you're not. I'm not. So take this all with a grain of salt.

Every generation gets the "Emma" it deserves, and Millennials are gifted with this slightly sarcastic side-eye starring the wide-eyed Anya Taylor-Joy in a flippant but earnest performance. If you can keep track of all the characters, kudos to you. (If I read the book, it was 35 years ago.) In the end, it doesn't matter that much. Emma's meddling in the love lives of others creates surprisingly little tension -- dramatic or comedic. Taylor-Joy is not the nimblest of comic actors. A few ringers help perk up the proceedings, including Miranda Hart as Miss Bates, Mia Goth as Harriet, and the reliable Bill Nighy as Emma's father.

Video director Autumn de Wilde splashes in her feature debut with panache and a distinct color palette. This is her variation on Sofia Coppola's trendy "Marie Antoinnete." It's a visually interesting diversion.