Alice Ferrand's husband has left her with huge debts and the threat of her flat being repossessed within a month.
This we know from a few opening scenes, and it's an impressively quick set up to the storyline. There's a real sense of sharing her panic as the realisation of her predicament hits home. Trying to find out where all their money went she uncovers her husband's frequent meetings with high class "escorts". Which inexorably leads her to the same, lucrative, employment as a means to pay off the debts and keep her, and her son's, home.
The 'career' she embarks on proves to be life changing for Alice, giving her a sense of responsibility, freedom and control she's never had before, and provides a lot of comedy and drama for the audience. Her first paid-for sexual encounter is hilarious, if eye watering to any men watching. Helped by fellow-escort Lisa (Chloé Boreham), Alice rebuilds her life and sees a future for herself and Jules she never dreamed of before. The return of the obnoxiously self-justifying François provides further reasons to break with the past.
At times a bit superficial in it's treatment of the 'escort' culture, there are moments of raw honesty and a sense of how pathetic most of the clients are. Piponnier is excellent in her portrayal of a woman moving from blind panic to nervous debutante to being in control. In the end it feels more powerful than the subject matter suggests, with a strong "fuck the patriarchy" message underlying a film that's mostly a joy to watch.
Recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment