Ma Belle, My Beauty

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1:32

Ma Belle, My Beauty

2021

1h 33m

Drama

LGBTQ+

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Lane, Bertie and Fred once shared a polyamorous relationship in New Orleans. Lane loved Bertie, Fred loved Bertie, they had a balance that worked... until it didn't, and Lane vanished from their lives. Two years later, Bertie and Fred have gotten married and are living at Fred's family home in the countryside of southern France. When Lane unexpectedly shows up in Bertie's seemingly idyllic new life, she finds her former lover much different than she remembers. Bertie is disillusioned in her jazz career, still grieving the loss of her mother, and clearly alienated in this small, white, European town. Lane attempts to recreate their old, carefree dynamic, hoping that her return might lighten Bertie's mood -- but Bertie isn't having it. It seems time hasn't healed all wounds... so Lane shifts her strategy when she meets Noa, a young artist and former soldier, quickly reigniting dormant jealousies.

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Critics Consensus

Flawed but ultimately compelling, Ma Belle, My Beauty uses the aftermath of a polyamorous relationship to explore the intersections of love and ambition.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

It's all very amiable, casual and lovely to behold, but needs a little more friction to spice things up.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 26, 2021

Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

Viewers may wish there were more to it, but what's there is teasingly intriguing.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 25, 2021

Full Review

Cody Corrall

Chicago Reader

Ma Belle, My Beauty feels uninterested in its characters' motivations and their main source of conflict-how to manuever the complicated cogs of the polyamorous machine...

Aug 24, 2021

Full Review

Amy Smith

InSession Film

What disappoints me about this film is the potential that is within it. Somewhere here is a good film, and there are some great ideas.

Rated: C+

Mar 1, 2024

Full Review

David Reddish

Queerty

Ma Belle, My Beauty avoids any heavy-handed statements about gender, sex or relationships, preferring instead to just observe its characters and let viewers draw their own conclusions.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 13, 2022

Full Review

Carson Timar

Clapper

There is an authenticity to the emotions on display throughout the feature that is not always found in the genre and there is both a clear inspiration and craft to nearly every piece of the film.

Feb 22, 2022

Full Review

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Audience Member

Sexy unforgettable film

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Absolutely loved this film! Radically challenged the way I think about relationships and brought fond memories of a trip I took to S. France once!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ma Belle, My Beauty is a beautiful film portraying a nuanced and layered love story. The film centers the relationship between Bertie and Lane, two women who have loved and hurt each other, as they navigate their past and present. Unlike many films these days, this movie isn't trying to make a point or spell out a foregone conclusion, it's an authentic and real depiction of navigating identity, communication, and connection. Coupled with strong characters, a witty and thoughtful script, and an incredible soundtrack, you can't go wrong with this film. Set in a beautiful location in the South of France, the film is a sensory delight that transports you to a strong sense of place through the attention and care it gives to sights, smells, sounds - a deep and genuine love note to this particular region of France.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Lovely insight of old passions never really disappeared that clashes with present choices and life directions. The movie is very tender, the delicacy of the dialogs communicate a sweet uncertainty in the protagonists feelings, an honesty very much appreciated, that makes a love story genuine and not banal. I believe it's a must watch, maybe a cult someday!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I am so glad I decided to stream Ma Belle, My Beauty!! I had seen some of the great reviews popping up here and there. Bored at home one afternoon, I saw the Apple trailer and decided to settle in for cozy watch from my couch. My husband watched it with me and loved it. We paused the movie many times so we could discuss the storyline - we were so wrapped up in it! I lived in France and studied French literature for many years. This felt like a beautiful journey back to all the wonderful and challenging aspects of living abroad. There were so many beautiful layers of culture and understanding laid out in this film. National identity, gender identity, sexual identity, professional identity... nuances of love, responsibility, loyalty, creativity, citizenship... it all overlaps in a thoughtful way. I absolutely found myself caught up in the journey of these characters - loving them, hating them, and then loving them again. I am not surprised at all that it received fan favorite at Sundance. Absolutely recommend!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Touching film. This is a personal film from the director and you can feel it. It's vulnerable, messy...it's love.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

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Marion Hill

Director

Idella Johnson

Bertie

Hannah Pepper

Lane

Lucien Guignard

Fred

Sivan Noam Shimon

Noa

Marion Hill

Screenwriter

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Ma Belle, My Beauty: Trailer 1

1:32

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Synopsis

Lane, Bertie and Fred once shared a polyamorous relationship in New Orleans. Lane loved Bertie, Fred loved Bertie, they had a balance that worked... until it didn't, and Lane vanished from their lives. Two years later, Bertie and Fred have gotten married and are living at Fred's family home in the countryside of southern France. When Lane unexpectedly shows up in Bertie's seemingly idyllic new life, she finds her former lover much different than she remembers. Bertie is disillusioned in her jazz career, still grieving the loss of her mother, and clearly alienated in this small, white, European town. Lane attempts to recreate their old, carefree dynamic, hoping that her return might lighten Bertie's mood -- but Bertie isn't having it. It seems time hasn't healed all wounds... so Lane shifts her strategy when she meets Noa, a young artist and former soldier, quickly reigniting dormant jealousies.

Director: Marion Hill
Producer: Marion Hill, Kelsey Scult, Ben Matheny
Screenwriter: Marion Hill
Distributor: Good Deed Entertainment
Production Co: EFI productions
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 20, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.0K
Runtime: 1h 33m

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