| Venus Beauty Institute | |
|
Venus
Beauty Institute, which just openend in the US and won four Cesar Awards
back in France, is one of those films that look and feel like candy. It's a
delight that can still make you smile days later.
Angèle is a beautician working at the bonbon-colored beauty salon that gives the film its title. Much of her time is spent pampering the hilariously vain patrons of the salon, and bickering with the other girls and the owner Madame Buisse (Claire Nebout).
This being a French movie, Angèle chases men whenever she's not working. Following her philosophy that "love is just another form of slavery," she isn't after long-term relationships but what she likes to call "flings." She picks up men at train stations and cafeterias for quick one-night (or one-lunch) stands. Of course, this doesn't make her very happy, and Nathalie Baye is marvelous at giving us glimpses past Angèle's tough facade and hinting at the pain that turned her into who she is.
The turning point comes when a stranger (Samuel Le Bihan) approaches her on the street and confesses his undying love for her. Of course, Angèle doesn't want anything to do with him....
Angèle is a mature woman who his responsible for her own sexuality -- something you don't see much in American movies. Imagine a romantic comedy with, say, Frances McDormand instead of Meg Ryan, and then add some French weight and seriousness to the whole affair. The tone of Venus Beauty Institute is sweet but not sticky, and often the humor turns surprisingly painful, as for instance when we realize that running joke about Angele's weight has entirely unfunny reasons.
What makes this film such a pleasure is the smart and touching subplots and the marvelous ensemble cast. Many grande dames of French cinema appear in small supporting roles, and the quick back and forth between the girls at the beauty parlor ensures that this is one French movie that never gets bogged down by philosophical pondering or endless talk.
Written and directed by Tonie Marshall
Starring Nathalie Baye (Angèle), Bulle Ogier (Nadine), Samuel Le Bihan (Antoine), Jacques Bonnaffé (Jacques), Mathilde Seigner (Samantha), Claire Nebout (Madame Buisse), Robert Hossein (Aviator) and Audrey Tautou (Marie).
Awards: Best Director, Best French Film, Best Writing, Most Promising Young Actress (Tautou), 2000 César Awards; Best Actress (Baye), 2000 Seattle International Film Festival.
French with English subtitles
Running time: 105 minutes. This film is not rated.
