House of Tolerance (2011)
"L'Apollonide (Souvenirs de la maison close)" (original title)

Life in an elegant Parisian brothel in the early twentieth century. The madam essentially owns the women: their expenses exceed earnings, they are in debt. They face problems of pregnancy, ... See full summary »

Director:

Bertrand Bonello

Writer:

Bertrand Bonello (scenario)

Stars:

Noémie Lvovsky, Hafsia Herzi, Céline Sallette

1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Noémie Lvovsky	...	Marie-France
Hafsia Herzi	...	Samira
Céline Sallette	...	Clotilde
Jasmine Trinca	...	Julie
Adèle Haenel	...	Léa
Alice Barnole	...	Madeleine
Iliana Zabeth	...	Pauline
Pauline Jacquard
Anaïs Thomas
Maia Sandoz	...	(as Maïa Sandoz)
Joanna Grudzinska
Esther Garrel
Xavier Beauvois
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing
Jacques Nolot

Storyline

Life in an elegant Parisian brothel in the early twentieth century. The madam essentially owns the women: their expenses exceed earnings, they are in debt. They face problems of pregnancy, opium, age, and violent clients. One reads sociology at her peril. Occasionally, a client talks of marriage. There are also friendships and affection among the women. The madam is in a dispute with her landlord and calls on influential clients to help. There's a picnic one summer day, a wake, and an evening in masks. Have they expectations? In a coda, we watch a street scene in contemporary Paris.

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Plot Keywords:

knife | female removes her dress | bare breasts | voyeurism | brothel | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

25 November 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

House of Pleasures

Box Office

Budget:

€4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,766 (USA) (18 November 2011)

Gross:

$19,327 (USA) (16 December 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films du Lendemain, My New Picture, arte France Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The casting says "Clotilde" but her name is misspelled (as "Clothilde", rather a common error in France) in the movie when we see the lines of name/debt written by the matron.

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.23 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"The Right To Love You"
By "The Mighty Hannibal"

User Reviews

Beautiful and real

I loved this film, I am surprised to see more than one review damning the film for a lack of plot. There is most definitely a plot it's subtle and thoughtful but the characters all have an arc and, for some, very definite resolutions.

The cast are superb, even those with the smallest roles present fully rounded individuals of whom it's possible to infer their lives outside the bounded world presented to us. The relationships between the women of the house both amongst themselves and with their clients are rich and true.

Although full of sex and sexuality nothing is gratuitous or titillating but real and honest. Sometimes good, sometimes dreadful, sometimes funny, sometimes a violation.

This was a film that I would have been happy to watch for another two hours , I didn't want to leave these women behind.