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Interesting movie about a famous French madame from the 60's and 70's. Too much focus on the nudity that it was almost like soft porn. Could have been better, but it's an ok watch if you have nothing better to do.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/22/23
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Audience Member
The history could be great, but some interpretations was not convincing, sound effects was misplaced and the real ploblem to be faced by Madame Claude was loosen in the end.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
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Audience Member
Fascinating account of Madam Claude. Top of the range prostitutes wearing fabulous clothes and enduring not so fabulous, sometimes brutal acts of sex. I wanted to know more about Madam Claude and wanted to see less of the gyrating, flacid derrieres. Could have been an intriguing account of a woman who ran a high class brothel, but apparently disliked sec.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/21/23
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Audience Member
Mucho más que una madama
Sumario
Interesante y por momentos controvertido biopic de la madama más influyente de Francia. También un film sobre las múltiples y a veces sorprendentes pero inevitables derivaciones del proxenetismo de alta gama.
Reseña
Madame Claude se ocupa sobre todo del apogeo de quien fuera la madama más encumbrada y célebre de Francia durante las presidencias de de Gaulle y Pompidou, de cómo regenteaba su "casa" y su "mansión" y de su relación con los círculos del poder.
Esta biopic parcial de Silvie Verhayde sobre Fernande Grudet, alias Madame Claude, se centra en tres aspectos. Por un lado, fue la proxeneta de la más exclusiva red de prostitución femenina durante más de una década, lo que la llevó a vincularse con círculos del poder, del crimen organizado y otros que el espectador descubrirá, haciendo un peligroso equilibrio entre ellos. Sumado a su ambientación sixties, este aspecto a veces sorprendente pero inevitable del proxenetismo de alta gama tiñe a la película, por momentos, de un fascinante y sofisticado clima de película de espionaje. No le reclamen a este film un desarrollo amplio de estas subtramas como si se tratara de un documental o una miniserie; nos ubican simplemente en aquello con lo que negociaba, traficaba y lidiaba la protagonista.
Los otros dos aspectos, muy relacionados entre sí, tienen que ver con su vida privada y el modo en que gestionaba su red, concentrada en burdeles de alta gama (casas y luego mansiones), describiendo cómo se relacionaba con "sus" prostitutas y la "comunidad" o "familia" que conformaban, que la película describe de una manera desprejuiciada, pero sin ahorrar ninguna de sus facetas. Esta descripción del ámbito íntimo de la prostitución VIP (y por extensión de la prostitución en general) para algunos resultará controvertida. En particular, se desarrolla el vínculo de Madame Claude con quien fuera su mano derecha, la enigmática Sidonie (en una muy buena actuación de Garance Mallinier, protagonista de la notable Voraz). Aparece también al directora y actriz Hafzsia Herzi en el rol de otra call girl.
Karole Roche lleva adelante una muy buena interpretación de su difícil y complejo personaje, combinando dureza, sequedad y pasión y mostrando una Madame Claude decidida a hacerse un lugar en la trama masculina del poder, ejerciendo el férreo control de su red de prostitución con una impronta que iba de lo maternal a lo despótico y despiadado y transitando la difícil relación con su familia.
La recreación de época está muy lograda, con una banda sonora con temas franceses d la época muy oportunamente ubicados.
Much more than a "madam"
Summary
Interesting and at times controversial biopic of the most influential pimp woman in France. Also a film about the many and sometimes surprising but inevitable derivations of high-end pimping.
Review
Madame Claude is concerned above all with the heyday of who was the most exalted and famous pimp woman in France during the presidencies of de Gaulle and Pompidou, how she ran her "house" and her "mansion" and her relationship with the circles of power.
This Silvie Verhayde partial biopic of Fernande Grudet, aka Madame Claude, focuses on three aspects. On the one hand, she was the pimp of the most exclusive network of female prostitution for more than a decade, which led her to link with circles of power, organized crime and others that the viewer will discover, striking a dangerous balance between them. Coupled with her sixties setting, this sometimes surprising but unavoidable aspect of high-end pimping lends the film, at times, a fascinating and sophisticated spy-movie climate. Do not demand a broad development of these subplots from this film as if it were a documentary or a miniseries; they simply place us in what the protagonist negotiated, trafficked and dealt with.
The other two aspects, closely related to each other, have to do with his private life and the way in which he managed his network, concentrated in high-end brothels (houses and later mansions), describing how he related to "his" prostitutes and the "Community" or "family" that they made up, which the film describes in an unbiased way, but without sparing any of its facets. This description of the intimate realm of VIP prostitution (and by extension of prostitution in general) will be controversial for some. In particular, Madame Claude's bond with whoever was her right hand, the enigmatic Sidonie (in a very good performance by Garance Mallinier, protagonist of the notable Voracious), develops. The director and actress Hafzsia Herzi also appears in the role of another call girl.
Karole Roche carries out a very good interpretation, combining toughness, dryness and passion of her difficult and complex character, showing a Madame Claude determined to make a place in the male power plot, exercising tight control of her prostitution network with a imprint that went from the maternal to the despotic and ruthless and going through the difficult relationship with her family.
The re-enactment of the period is very successful, with a soundtrack with French themes from the period very conveniently located.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/27/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A catastrophe. A pretext to nudity scenes and elementary dialogues, amorality presented as romantic and victims as culprits with no historical, social or political background. One feels compassion then disgust for the main characters.
Do we want to watch that ? No, any noir film of 1940's would be much, much better !
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
01/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Poorly made. No continuity. Her influence wasn't made evident. Not much intrigue. Disappointing.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
01/31/23
Full Review
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