Les femmes au balcon

Three very different twenty / thirty something girls - an actress (Élise), a writer (Nicole) and webcam model (Ruby) - try to chill in their Marseilles flats and their balconies during a heatwave. Attracted to the man in the flat across the road they go over for drinks. One stays over and the next day she is found hysterical and covered in blood. The three return to the man's flat to find the man impaled and missing part of his genitals - they determine to cover things up.

Apparently a feminist dark comedy, the amusing elements soon fade morphing into a rather scattergun, somewhat surreal tale of violence to women by rather stereotypical unpleasant men and its impact including Nicole seeing the ghosts of those killed. It's darkly humorous in places but because the characters of the leads never really develop and because every feller here is a complete twerp, it's hard to entirely care too much, sweet though they are. Ultimately different, stylish and with lots of ideas some of which are quite inspired but most just don't really land. - certainly art for art's sake.

This movie is a little gem really. A hysterical, funny and crazy story. The script holds up all the way (limps sometimes), but as a whole very entertaining and thought-provoking movie in many ways. The actresses are brilliant in their roles. They do their characters justice. The chemistry between them works great. The movie makes me think of Almodovar's early movies. A film Almodovar could have made actually. I think this movie should really be seen if the opportunity comes. I look forward to what the director will do for film next. I will definitely watch it too. Really looking forward to it.

'The Balconettes (2024)' is campy, colourful and quirky, a combination of comedy and melodrama and murder that focuses on a trio of refreshingly complex and deliciously over-expressive women and has a relaxed approach to sex and nudity. Basically, it's as if a Pedro Almodóvar movie was made in France, was written and directed by a woman (rather than being a movie about women directed by a man) and didn't have a bizarre, close-to-apologetic relationship with sexual violence and abuse. Although it doesn't always seem to know exactly what it wants to say or how it wants to say it, this is an enjoyably idiosyncratic mix of humour, horror, heartbreak and honesty. With a notably feminist edge and a compelling central trio, the flick flows from one mood to the next in a mostly seamless fashion and remains interesting for its duration. It's always slightly unpredictable, even if it often takes well-travelled roads and reaches a relatively busy destination, and it has a notable energy to it that makes it stand out amongst its peers, despite the fact that it also wears its inspirations on its sleeve. It's a bit unrefined and it isn't always as entertaining as you'd expect it to be, but it definitely has its highlights and is fairly charming overall. The three leads all commit to the bit, delivering big performances that chew the scenery just the right amount, and the cinematography is so vibrant that the affair is always a joy to watch. Plus, the make-up and costuming is genuinely fabulous, with all three main characters (especially Ruby) rocking some truly iconic looks as they navigate - or, perhaps, survive - a heatwave that's only mildly less bothersome than the awful men in their lives. It isn't always as good as it perhaps could have been, but this is a pretty fun feature that doesn't overstay its welcome and feels fairly unique as a whole.

Thematically (and I suspect, deliberately) this is all over the map in terms of its inspirations and borrowings from a wild variety of genres. As such, one just has to "go with it" if it's your kind of thing.

I must say though that, for me, too many of the scenes felt familiar from other films (at one point it felt like a direct homage to Almodovar, for example), although Merlant the actor demonstrates admirable commitment to her debut directing project.

There's a serious feminist message here but, given the total lack of sympathetic male characters, it's hardly the most balanced film - I suspect allowing any borderline cases to say to themselves "well, I'm nothing like *that* guy..." rather than perhaps take on board the need to change behaviour somewhat.

Quite fun in parts, and worth a look, but less amusing than I was expecting.

The Balconettes starts off raw, but it's brutally honest. There's plenty of horror here, though it's dressed as comedy, an interesting mix that feels natural and delivers a great result. Beneath the chaos lies a sharp and well-crafted critique of toxic masculinity. And Noémie Merlant... absolutely spectacular. I love her.