Le Bal des Folles

Ice water soakings, solitary confinement in dark cells, tranquilizers, and random body cavity inspections are just a sampling of the standard psychiatry treatments inflicted upon captive female patients in France 130 years ago. Free spirited Eugenie suffers debilitating visions that she cannot control or understand. She is only in need of some gentle guidance, understanding, and self-confidence. Instead, Eugenie is tricked by her parents and committed against her will to a cruel and misogynistic psychiatric ward. Abandoned by her relatives, Eugenie finds a different family among her unlucky ward sisters.

Women's history is reimagined in a scorching yet sensitive way by Melanie Laurent who directs and stars in the film. Thankfully the film is made in France, and therefore uncensored and blunt. While the film lacks cohesion and a little spark, it is enlightening and energizing to witness multidimensional, realistic, and complicated female characters, and women behind as well as on the screen who are defined not by men but by themselves.

World premiere seen at the Toronto international film festival.

My dear Geneviève, we are free...

After Oxygen, Mélanie Laurent returns directing and starring in an Amazon original.

As a director, Laurent did a great job showing the cruelty in the treatment of women in asylum back in the days. The "therapies" were nothing different from tortures. However, within the cruelty was the premise that added heart to the characters. I liked that the movie didn't scream feminism, but let the scenes play out so audiences could root for the women characters.

Probably my only problem was the movie became pretty predictable near the end. I liked how the two main characters were tied to each other, but what became of it was quite clear and not surprising.

Overall, a solid and well done movie. 7.5/10.

Lou de Laage is Eugenie, a headstrong woman who is committed to an insane asylum in 1885 France by her wealthy and domineering father. Victor Hugo's funeral opens the film and Eugenie was amongst the large crowd.

The young woman goes into fits and claims to communicate with the spirits of the dead. She finds a long lost necklace of her grandmother's while in such a state. Somehow, this event does not convince the rest of her family of her ESP like abilities.

At the asylum, Eugenie is subject to all kinds of atrocious "therapies," including ice baths and a month long stay in a what looks like a dungeon.

De Laage is magnificent in the lead and she can be seen as a doctor in postwar Germany in The Innocents. The actress deserves more widespread recognition.

The Mad Women's Ball is difficult to watch but a very good movie.

This film was breathtaking from start to finish. Brilliant story, incredible acting, beautifully haunting music score. It was intriguing, and mesmerizing. One of the better films I've seen recently.

This is really a delightful movie. A beautiful and dramatic story . A touching tale of suffering , friendship , salvation and redemption in a time of barbaric psychiatry methods .