6.5
The dawn of the 20th century: L’Apollonide, a luxurious and traditional brothel in Paris, is living its last days. In this closed world, where some men fall in love and others become viciously harmful, the women share their secrets, their fears, their joys and their pains.
Noémie Lvovsky
Marie-France
Hafsia Herzi
Samira
Céline Sallette
Clotilde
Jasmine Trinca
Julie
Adèle Haenel
Léa
Alice Barnole
Madeleine
Iliana Zabeth
Pauline
Judith Lou Lévy
Prostitute
Pauline Jacquard
Prostitute
Anaïs Thomas
Prostitute
Maïa Sandoz
Prostitute
Joanna Grudzinska
Prostitute
Esther Garrel
Prostitute
Xavier Beauvois
Jacques
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing
Michaux
Jacques Nolot
Maurice
Laurent Lacotte
Sadistic customer
Pierre Léon
Customer
Jean-Baptiste Verquin
Customer
Michel Peteau
Marcelo Teles
Guillaume Verdier
Justin Taurand
Damien Odoul
Paul Moulin
Henry Lvovsky
Paolo Mattei
Marie-France's son
Fred Epaud
François Magal
Ghislain de Fonclare
Daniel Doebbels
Andre Lamorthe
Chad Gomis
Chloe Rouaud
Louisa Lacroix
Bernard Fonty
Doctor
Anaïs Romand
Libertine
Natalia Tintore
Salon Bourgeois
Audrey Perronier
Salon Bourgeois
Marie Seznec
Salon Bourgeois
Pascale Geille
Salon Bourgeois
Vincent Dieutre
Salon Bourgeois
William Pesson
Salon Bourgeois
Lucie Borleteau
Salon Bourgeois
Antonia Buresi
Salon Bourgeois
Ewa Kasp
Boulevard Peripherique
Rufine Duclos
Boulevard Peripherique
Jing Wang
Boulevard Peripherique
Yann Yang Yang
Boulevard Peripherique
Pascale Ferran
(voice)
Director, Writer
Bertrand Bonello
Script Consultant
Mariette Désert
July 19, 2024
7
Though utterly depressing pretty much from start to finish, this is still a compelling film to watch as we follow a group of girls who are caught up in the most vicious of circles. They all work for "Madame Marie-France" (Noémie Lvovsky) in her slightly upmarket, but now fairly jaded, brothel. It's not just a "knocking shop" - the girls are expected to entertain their guests, to chat, sip Champagne and indulge their paymasters in anything they want. It's a dangerous way of life for these women. They are mired in debt - a debt their hostess ensures never shrinks, how ever much they earn. Some of their clients are benign, even generous - but most are there to treat them as disposable commodities. There's no star as such, each actor has a moment in the sun as we deal with abortion, addiction, violence and even the odd rather naive degree of optimism as "Clotilde" (Céline Sallette), "Julie" (Jasmine Trinca" and "Samira" (Hafsia Herzi) show us just what slavery with gossamer chains looks like. The pace might be a little slow at times, it is prone to a little repetition and the constant stream of (exclusively female) nudity does start to lose it's potency and look a little gratuitous after about an hour; but as a plausible observation of the hopeful amidst hopelessness at a time and in a city where nobody cared much for their plight, this is an engaging story that cleverly mixes up it's narrative with some poignant dialogue and strong performances.