MovieChat Forums > L'Apollonide (Souvenirs de la maison close) (2011) Discussion > Why such a low rating?

Why such a low rating?

posted 13 years ago by id-entity
6 replies | jump to latest

Todd McCarthy liked it well enough. What makes it "not to all tastes"?

I wondered that too and now that I seen the film I understand. Some elements ( e.g. music choices, included scenes) are out of synch with emotions / aesthetic sensibilities of the story and this really detracts from the experience (particularly towards the end). I left feeling it was 'okay' instead of wonderful. From the Q&A it seems many others felt the same way but some liked the movie as it was. The movie does have a strong first half and lovely soft lighting that looks like a renoir painting.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] KenyaOne 12 years ago

"Romanticizes?!"

I hope we're both using that term similarly.
The film was remarkable. I have it a "9." If anything it was "Naturalistic," portraying the slow death by syphillis, the bankrupting of the Madame, and the maiming of the Jewess.

However, I agree with the commentator that said it was like a Renoir painting. Indeed, the film was true to it's time, "La Belle Epoch." The only scene of non realism was perhaps retribution by leopard attack of the pervert who cut the poor girl.

And the music was in synch, down to the "closing" (double entendre intended) song of the film, "Bad Girl" by Lee Moses, circa 1967. "They called her a bad girl - but she just wanted to be free."

And that's the key point: most of the girls were looking for a way out, to free themselves from the bondage of their debts, the life of a scullery maid, etc. And I might add, not much has changed. Many of these women today work this trade under the illusion that they'll someday find true love and enough money tobe be comfortable.

It was a love story, folks. And all French love stories end badly!

[–] PoppyTransfusion 11 years ago

unrealistically romanticizes prostitution

I think you need to provide your definition of romantic and romanticise; this film was very depressing because of the lot of the women. Quite the opposite of romantic/romaticise in my view.

Fatima had a fetish for a wiggle in her scoot

[–] masuka-fan 12 years ago

I gave it a 7 so a 6.9 (what it's currently at) is about right.

You know there going to be a lot of prudes who are scared by the nudity, or didn't like the explicit dialogue. No, I don't know why they'd be watching a film like this either, but it surely happens.