I saw this listed as one of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, in the book, so obviously I was willing to watch it, despite not knowing anything about the plot or anything, I hoped for the best. Basically in rural Languedoc-Roussillon lives famous and reclusive artist Edouard Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli) with his wife and former model Liz ("Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus" singer Jane Birkin) in his large château in the French Provence. Young artist Nicolas (David Bursztein) visits him with his girlfriend Marianne (Emmanuelle Béart),and Edouard is inspired by her beauty to start painting again, and more specifically start again, or continue as it were, the painting he has long abandoned. Marianne removes all of her clothing, and the artist commences sketching for what will become the painting he stopped, called La Belle Noiseuse, translated The Beautiful Troublemaker. Most of the film is the numerous times that Marianne poses for Edouard while he sketches and more importantly paints his subject in the various poses he puts, or sometimes forces, her into. As time goes by, he is obviously becoming frustrated as he finds it hard to find the right pose and create the right work, and she is finding it hard to stay in her poses, be naked in front of him, and feel pressured into helping him with his work. The film ends with the work completed, but Edouard feels guilty or something for the finished painting, and to make sure no-one ever sees it he hides it behind a new brick wall, and he quickly creates the replacement, we never see the real painting that was finished. Also starring Marianne Denicourt as Julienne, Gilles Arbona as Porbus and Bernard Dufour as The Painter (the real one creating the works). It is two or three minutes short of four hours long, and it may not be for everyone, it can even coin the phrase "it's as interesting as watching paint dry", but I liked it, as I have an interest in drawing myself. What made it fascinating was seeing the painting done in real time, with hardly any cutaways, so you can admire what the artist is trying to create (it's almost like watching Rolf Harris sometimes, LOL, "can you tell what it is yet?"),and these scenes really use the time wisely and make it a rewarding and compelling drama masterpiece. Very good!

Famed painter Edouard Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli) has been living in quiet secluded retirement with his model wife Liz (Jane Birkin) on a large country estate. They are visited by Marianne (Emmanuelle Béart),her artist boyfriend Nicolas, and an art dealer. Frenhofer is taken with the beautiful Marianne. She inspires him to restart his abandoned La Belle Noiseuse painting with the young nude model in long sessions.

The plot is simple. The characterization is compelling but the movie is slow and it is extremely long. It is four freaking hours. This is more about the act of creating. Despite the extended scenes, the drawing process is quite riveting even when Béart isn't naked. There is a hypnotic feel watching him create something on the blank page. The movie is too long for most audiences. Painting may be fascinating but it's not worth sitting for four hours straight.

The former famous painter Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli) revisits an abandoned project using the girlfriend (Emmanuelle Béart) of a young visiting artist. Questions about truth, life, and artistic limits are explored.

The film is loosely adapted from the short story "The Unknown Masterpiece" by Honoré de Balzac and also includes elements from "The Liar", "The Figure in the Carpet", and "The Aspern Papers" by Henry James. One does not need to have read any of these works to appreciate the film, however.

Some critics say the film is like watching paint dry, because very little happens and it has a running time of over four hours! But, at the same time ,this is sort of its charm. It just goes slow, unfolding, and getting the job done. Is the story of the artist or the model? Do they grow together, or grow apart?