Review of Venus Beauty Institute (1999) by Yuri O — 28 Jan 2009

The plot summary is incorrect. Nadine is the owner of the salon. Angèle is the main character.

Nice recurring touches: the way Angèle disappears behind the bus, in fact the way buses passing in front of us introduce and remove characters; the chime that announces new customers, the eccentric patrons and the music. I loved the ending, the sex scene in the dark with Angèle and Antoine (the lighting hit just the right places-- hands groping for a banister, the muscles on Antoine's back. I also enjoyed the creepy scene between Marie and the widower -- it was actually my favorite in the movie--the way that redoubling works and little details like what's going on with Antoine's eyes during the scene. the characters are distinct, though I actually hate Angèle at the start. She sort of grows on you so that by the last scene, you are with her. I imagine Barbara Streisand doing the role in an English remake. Not sure about the other characters, though.