Mélanie Laurent adapted, directs and stars in The Mad Women’s Ball (Le Bal Des Folles), a French Amazon Original that premiered in the Galas section at the Toronto International Film Festival. Lou de Laâge, who worked with Laurent in Breathe, co-stars in the moving story of oppressed women in late 19th century France. Based on the novel by Victoria Mas, it blends real-life characters with fictional ones in the disturbing setting of a mental institution.
Eugénie (de Laâge) is a well-heeled French girl who craves the education and experience men like her brother can enjoy. She also sees dead people — not all the time, but enough to concern her family. “I know what happens to girls like you,” says Eugénie’s worried brother, and sure enough, her father soon carts her off to La Pitié Salpétrière Hospital, the real-life clinic in Paris run by celebrated neurology pioneer Dr Charcot (Grégoire Bonnet...
Eugénie (de Laâge) is a well-heeled French girl who craves the education and experience men like her brother can enjoy. She also sees dead people — not all the time, but enough to concern her family. “I know what happens to girls like you,” says Eugénie’s worried brother, and sure enough, her father soon carts her off to La Pitié Salpétrière Hospital, the real-life clinic in Paris run by celebrated neurology pioneer Dr Charcot (Grégoire Bonnet...
- 9/13/2021
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
When Victor Hugo was laid to rest in June of 1885, 40,000 people slept on the streets of Paris in order to catch a glimpse of his casket. Mélanie Laurent’s “The Mad Women’s Ball,” adapted from the Victoria Mas bestseller of the same name, imagines that one of those mourners was a 26-year-old woman who typically communed with the dead in private, where it was all too easy for others to disbelieve her. Between her flushed beauty and immaculate breeding, Eugénie should be the finest husband bait in all of France, but her severe wit and voracious curiosity tend to frustrate her father’s marriage plots. What good is a strong mind when it comes to carrying the next generation of powerful men?
As if Eugénie’s pesky intelligence weren’t enough of a deal-breaker unto itself, there’s also the added bonus that she claims to be visited by ghosts...
As if Eugénie’s pesky intelligence weren’t enough of a deal-breaker unto itself, there’s also the added bonus that she claims to be visited by ghosts...
- 9/13/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Mélanie Laurent is probably still best known to American filmgoers for her literal barn-burner of a performance in “Inglorious Basterds,” but on the global stage, she’s a filmmaking force, premiering her sixth film in ten years at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on its way to a global debut on Amazon Prime, the streaming service’s first original French production.
“The Mad Women’s Ball,” adapted by Laurent and Christophe Deslandes from Victoria Mas’ novel, explores outdated medical practices and even the supernatural, and it’s another powerful examination of how the asylum essentially served as the witch-burning post for more “enlightened” times — a place to take care of women who didn’t know their place, all under the guise of serving the public order.
Lou de Laâge stars as Eugénie, a spirited young woman who bristles against the expectations of her conservative father, taking every opportunity to hang out...
“The Mad Women’s Ball,” adapted by Laurent and Christophe Deslandes from Victoria Mas’ novel, explores outdated medical practices and even the supernatural, and it’s another powerful examination of how the asylum essentially served as the witch-burning post for more “enlightened” times — a place to take care of women who didn’t know their place, all under the guise of serving the public order.
Lou de Laâge stars as Eugénie, a spirited young woman who bristles against the expectations of her conservative father, taking every opportunity to hang out...
- 9/13/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Amazon Prime Video has boarded Melanie Laurent’s anticipated period mystery thriller “Le bal des folles” as its first Original movie in France.
“Le bal des folles” is produced by Alain Goldman and Axelle Boucaï at Legende Films. Amazon Prime Video will launch the film exclusively in France and around the world in 2021.
The movie will start shooting next week in Rochefort, in western France. Penned by Laurent and Christophe Deslandes, “Le bal des folles” is based on the award-wining novel of the same name by Victoria Mas.
The film takes place at the end of the 19th century in Paris, at a time when women deemed too rebellious or difficult were frequently labeled as insane and institutionalized. The action unfolds at the Salpêtrière hospital where such women, diagnosed with different kinds of nervous system disorders, were confined and put under the supervision of neurologists such as Jean-Martin Charcot. Each year,...
“Le bal des folles” is produced by Alain Goldman and Axelle Boucaï at Legende Films. Amazon Prime Video will launch the film exclusively in France and around the world in 2021.
The movie will start shooting next week in Rochefort, in western France. Penned by Laurent and Christophe Deslandes, “Le bal des folles” is based on the award-wining novel of the same name by Victoria Mas.
The film takes place at the end of the 19th century in Paris, at a time when women deemed too rebellious or difficult were frequently labeled as insane and institutionalized. The action unfolds at the Salpêtrière hospital where such women, diagnosed with different kinds of nervous system disorders, were confined and put under the supervision of neurologists such as Jean-Martin Charcot. Each year,...
- 11/12/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – In our latest French thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 10 admit-two run-of-engagement movie passes up for grabs to the film “Point Blank” from French director Fred Cavayé!
The film opened in Chicago on Aug. 12, 2011 at Landmark Century Centre Cinema. “Point Blank” stars Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Gérard Lanvin, Elena Anaya, Mireille Perrier, Claire Perot, Moussa Maaskri, Pierre Benoist, Valérie Dashwood, Virgile Bramly, Nicky Naude, Adel Bencherif, Vincent Colombe, Chems Dahmani and Grégoire Bonnet from writer and director Fred Cavayé.
To win your free run-of-engagement movie pass for “Point Blank”, just answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! These movie passes are valid during the film’s theatrical run at Landmark Century Centre Cinema in Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “Point Blank” from French director Fred Cavayé.
The film opened in Chicago on Aug. 12, 2011 at Landmark Century Centre Cinema. “Point Blank” stars Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Gérard Lanvin, Elena Anaya, Mireille Perrier, Claire Perot, Moussa Maaskri, Pierre Benoist, Valérie Dashwood, Virgile Bramly, Nicky Naude, Adel Bencherif, Vincent Colombe, Chems Dahmani and Grégoire Bonnet from writer and director Fred Cavayé.
To win your free run-of-engagement movie pass for “Point Blank”, just answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! These movie passes are valid during the film’s theatrical run at Landmark Century Centre Cinema in Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “Point Blank” from French director Fred Cavayé.
- 8/15/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.