Ma Belle, My Beauty 2021 Movie Review

『The Amplitude of Love, Emotions Replayed Amid Gentle Waves』

🎥 Film Overview

🎬 Title: Ma Belle, My Beauty (2021)
🌍 Country: 🇺🇸 USA, France co-production
🎞️ Genre: Drama / Romance / Music
🗓️ Production & Release: EFI Productions / Feature Film
⏳ Runtime: 93 minutes
📢 Director: Marion Hill
🖋️ Screenplay: Marion Hill
📺 Platforms: Available on Apple TV, Amazon, VUDU, Google Play and other streaming services

👩‍💼 Cast: Idella Johnson – Bertie
Hannah Pepper – Lane
Lucien Guignard – Fred
Sivan Noam Shimon – Noa

🧩 Story Deep Dive (Spoilers)

🎭 Reunion and Fracture

The film begins with Bertie, a jazz singer, and her husband Fred, a guitarist, who have relocated from New Orleans to Fred’s parents’ home in the south of France. Bertie finds herself in a slump, both creatively and personally, and feels isolated in the unfamiliar French countryside.

💔 Insight into Complex Relationships

In an effort to restore Bertie’s vitality, Fred secretly invites Lane, the third member of their former polyamorous relationship in New Orleans. Lane had abruptly left the relationship two years prior without explanation. Her sudden reappearance stirs in Bertie both anger and long-buried desire, setting their tangled dynamics back into motion.

🌈 The Core Relationship

The emotional center of the story is the queer/lesbian relationship between Bertie and Lane. Lane never had a sexual relationship with Fred, and it is implied that Bertie was the center (Apex) for both. Thus, while Fred serves as a mediator, the drama fundamentally revolves around the unresolved emotions between the two women.

🦋 Emotional Resonance and Thematic Meaning

🕊️ Matter-of-Fact Polyamory

One of the film’s greatest strengths is that it does not treat polyamory as sensational or overly explanatory. Director Marion Hill frames polyamory not as an exotic “topic,” but as part of the characters’ relationship background and way of life.

• Non-monogamy as background: Instead of spelling out the rules or principles of a polyamorous relationship, the film uses the familiar romance drama framework of how an ex’s return affects a current relationship. This demonstrates that the emotional complexities of non-monogamous relationships are essentially no different from those of monogamous ones.
• Fred’s role: Compared to the drama between Bertie and Lane, Fred is depicted as somewhat of an “afterthought.” This makes clear that the film’s focus lies on the desires and relationship between queer women. Notably, Fred is not portrayed as a stereotypical jealous rival or oppressive figure but as an equal participant caught in a complex situation, which feels refreshing.

🎥 Longing and Artistic Block

A sense of longing permeates the entire film. Lane seeks to rekindle the free-spirited, passionate relationship she once had with Bertie, while Bertie, weighed down by isolation and loss, has lost her artistic inspiration.

• Bertie’s slump: Bertie struggles with the unresolved wound of being abandoned by Lane (a lack of closure), while also facing cultural alienation and isolation as a racial minority in the French countryside, leaving her creatively drained.
• The meaning of Lane’s return: Though Lane’s reappearance reopens old wounds, it also reignites Bertie’s suppressed desires and creative spark. The scene in which Bertie finally sings on stage symbolizes liberation from both emotional and artistic constraints.

🌍 Imperfect Characters and Unresolved Tensions

The director deliberately avoids clearly revealing why Lane left the relationship. This narrative “blank space” becomes a source of unresolved anger and simmering tension, driving much of the film’s conflict.

Lane’s complexity: Lane’s decision to become involved with another woman (Noa) in an attempt to provoke Bertie’s jealousy highlights her immaturity and emotional turmoil. This behavior paints Lane not merely as the “returning lover,” but as a layered character with both self-destructive tendencies and intense desire.

🎞️ The Sensual Atmosphere of Southern France

Ma Belle, My Beauty is infused with the sensual and decadent beauty of the French countryside: vineyards, sunlit villas, and alfresco dining. These lush visuals, paired with the film’s slow, languid pacing, create a “sensual atmosphere” that contrasts with the characters’ inner turmoil. The film is often compared to Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name for its tone and aesthetic.

🕯️ A Serious Question About the Nature of Love

Ma Belle, My Beauty forgoes a conventional storyline with neat conflicts and resolutions, instead exploring the lingering remains of love, loss, and desire. By treating polyamory as a “given” and focusing on human emotions within it, the film, from a queer female perspective, asks a profound question: “What is the form of love, and can we ever fully escape our past?” It is a mature, sensual romance drama.

Although some may point to its slow pacing and lack of detailed character backstories, the film’s respectful, non-judgmental treatment of non-monogamous relationships, coupled with the intense chemistry between Bertie and Lane, make it a noteworthy contribution to contemporary queer cinema.

🎯 Personal Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥♥♥♥
⭐ Overall Rating: ★★★☆