Renoir (Gilles Bourdos, 2012)

A biopic of the painter's last years and the fractitious relationship he has with his middle son, Renoir certainly looks the part cinematographically: some shots are utterly lustrous. However, it also does little more than relate the events, with a flatness of insight - and an odd lack of attention to the quality of the actual paintings - that is not elevated by the painter periodically just telling his son that he doesn't understand art. There is also a preoccupation with undressing the headstrong young model who is his muse, to an extent that smacks rather of the perving after little girls which is endemic of much French cinema with artistic pretensions.

5/10