▁achieved ▁critical ▁and ▁commercial ▁success ▁both ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁abroad , ▁most ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁on ▁the ▁Crit ic ' s ▁Pick ▁list ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁the ▁French ▁entry ▁for ▁the ▁Best ▁Foreign ▁Language ▁Film ▁at ▁the ▁ 8 6 th ▁Academy ▁Awards , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁nominated . ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁film ▁received ▁four ▁nomin ations ▁at ▁the ▁ 3 9 th ▁César ▁Awards , ▁winning ▁for ▁Best ▁Cost ume ▁Design . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁film ▁tells ▁the ▁forgotten ▁story ▁of ▁And r ée ▁He usch ling , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Catherine ▁H ess ling , ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁model ▁of ▁impression ist ▁painter ▁Pierre - August e ▁Ren oir ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁actress ▁in ▁the ▁films ▁of ▁his ▁son , ▁the ▁film ▁director ▁Jean ▁Ren oir . ▁ ▁And r ée ▁was ▁the ▁link ▁between ▁two ▁famous ▁and ▁widely ▁acc laimed ▁artists , ▁a ▁father ▁and ▁son . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁father ▁is ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁brilliant ▁career , ▁the ▁son ▁is ▁still ▁searching ▁for ▁himself , ▁his ▁great ▁career ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁celebrated ▁movie ▁direct ors ▁having ▁not ▁yet ▁begun . ▁ ▁Director ▁G illes ▁Bour d os ▁used ▁the ▁services ▁of ▁a ▁conv icted ▁art ▁for ger , ▁Guy ▁Rib es , ▁to ▁create ▁and ▁re - create ▁the ▁Ren oir ▁paint ings ▁in ▁live ▁action ▁on ▁screen . ▁ ▁Cast ▁ ▁Michel ▁Bou