Murderous Maids

I watched this movie a lot of times and all that can I say this is so powerful and fierce even though it is based on a true story. Sylvie Testud's performance in this movie is absolutely amazing! Even her sex scenes with Julie-Marie Parmentier are all emotional, and I can't see any traces of incestuous sex in it, making it as my most favorite love scene ever! The murder scene, on the other hand, looks like scary to me in a slightly manner. I also salute to the director of this film for having an excellent and amazing film.

This is one of the first movies i saw when i moved to Paris 3 years ago, and after hundreds of other ones, i couldn't tell why it still keeps a special place in my heart. Maybe it's Sylvie Testud's acting, absolutely astonishing, or the disturbing end, i don't know. The fact is i didn't forget and that's why i'm writing it here. This is a film to be watched, but maybe not to be loved... I rated it 8/10, cause of the memory, and Sylvie Testud, whom from this time i don't miss any film she plays in.

Sorry, but historical accuracy, t & a and good sub-titles aren't enough. As a true-crime fan, I was intregued by this film's attempt to re-construct the lives of these two women as a way of trying to understand their crimes, but the heavy-handedness of the director combined with the sweaty, gross-out sexuality between the two sisters kind of spoiled it for me (There's a sex-scene combining incest, hairy armpits and crepes that I found utterly appalling). The "bad" characters were too overly bad, the "crazy" ones were overly crazy; by presenting this polarized view of life, the director robbed the film of exactly the ambiguity that made these crimes so shocking and difficult to understand. I do, however, give high marks to the scenes of the crimes themselves--which were effectivly shocking--and to the character of the maid's mother who was a multi-dimensional, interesting and surprising character.

Even though "Murderous Maids", as a title, sounds like an American sexploitation B-flick, this film tells the true story of a pair of French sisters who serve as house maids, make incestuous love with each other, and kill their employer. Set in 1930's France, this biographical film spends considerable time developing the characters so when we see their shocking behavior it seems almost understandable. With critical plaudits aplenty, numerous awards, and sterling performances by the pair of leads (Testud & Parmentier), there's little doubt this is a quality film. However, given the unpleasantness of the issues, a somewhat tedious build to the climax, lots of maid stuff, and subtitles for non-French speakers, one should give this film due consideration before committing to the hour and a half watch. Will play best with foreign film buffs and others into serious psychodramas. (B)

I found out this movie from one review of La Cérémonie. I think the difference between these two is this one is crimes of passions and the other is psychopathic killing.

Christine was apparently madly depressed and also having anxiety disorders. She basically shut herself off from the outside world. Her childhood traumas very much caused her adult mental stages. By reading the facts, she suffered paranoid schizophrenia most likely starting at that period of time. I would wonder whether the director followed the psychological researches of this case or not. The incestuous lesbian relationship explained the cause well since the social class uprising warfare had little bearings of it.

It is a well scripted and logically unfolding. All the leading roles were crafted convincingly. This is not a movie for entertaining but you would hardly forget.