Vénus beauté (institut)

In Paris, Angèle (Nathalie Baye) is a beautician working in the beauty parlor 'Venus Beauty Institute', owned by Natalie (Bulle Ogier). Her colleagues are Samantha (Mathilde Seigner) and Marie (Audrey Tautou) and they have a good relationship in the salon. Angèle has an emotional problem with men and she does not believe in love anymore. Her affairs happen by chance with strangers and she seems to have the gift of choosing wrong guys for one night stand. Angèle meets Antoine (Samuel Le Bihan), a sculptor who has a crush with her, but the bitter and heartbroken Angèle has problems to believe on his love. I liked this romance about a heartbroken middle age woman finding love again. First, because of the great performance of the beautiful Nathalie Baye, who was fifty-one years old in 1999. The gorgeous Audrey 'Amélie Poulain' Tautou and Mathilde Seigner are collyrium for the eyes of the male viewers, being another attraction. The story has some ups and downs, with some shallow situations, like the exhibitionist client who walks naked in the beauty shop, but the balance is very positive. The story ends like a fairy tale and is enjoyable. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): 'Instituto de Beleza Venus' ('Venus Beauty Institute')

Netflix described this movie as follows: "With "Venus Beauty Institute," French writer and director Tonie Marshall takes us into this world of beauty and self image and into the lives of four strong, smart woman who make their living practicing beauty at a Parisian spa."

I was waiting throughout the entire movie for a glimpse of a strong woman...every woman in the entire movie seemed to me to be needy, insecure, wounded, angry, naive, or self destructive. The implausible plot of the very appealing Antoine, falling head over heels for Angele, I just didn't buy it. Not to mention, why did they have to make him already engaged to someone else? So throughout the whole thing, I'm feeling pissed off that he is betraying his fiance, while wooing this already completely screwed up woman, who has no faith in men already, but this guy is supposed to restore her faith in men, only he is destroying the life of another woman in order to restore the faith of this one????? The whole premise really upset me.

I just wish the movie had been described differently. As women with low self esteem and issues with men, dealing with their issues in their own uniquely unhealthy fashions.

"Venus Beauty Institute" tells of 40+ Angele (Baye), who prefers one night stands or "flings", as she calls them, to normal heterosexual relationships and love, and her lack of success with men. In addition to never being given a reason to care about Angele one way or the other, the audience will find much of this film dedicated to superfluous girl talk about the this and that of their lives and vocations. Inconclusive and muddled, "VBI" has little to offer save some fine performances which seems wasted on a trite and useless story.

Venus Beauté Institut is clearly one of the best films of the year in France, and not due to the fact it won the César as best film; it truly is a good film, contrary to what many people think. For starters the film has an excellent screenplay, and everything fits in quite nicely. It was very well directed by Tonie Marshall, in a simple, efficient and clear way (if you're looking for flashy directing look elsewhere). The story is also quite simple, but anyone (including men) can relate to it, for it deals with the most common human emotions: love, loneliness, friendship, sorrow, and happiness; and what's truly inspiring is the simple and humorous way these emotions have been conveyed. As for the acting, I can only say one thing: what an incredible cast. Nathalie Baye was superb as the lonely Angèle, and the entire supporting cast is excellent: the socialite and oppressive Madame Nadine (Bulle Ogier), the sweet and naive Marie (Audrey Tautou), the troubled Samanthe (Mathilde Seigner), and the breathtaking Madame Buisse (Claire Nadeau). Also, this is not the typical art house French film that many people detest, it is a very simple human statement, wonderfully taken to the screen.

I recommend it.

This movie has some fine acting. It is driven by character rather than plot. Nathalie Baye, as Angèle, plays a 40ish beautician in Paris. She has had a traumatic childhood and has been burned in love so she limits herself to one-night stands where she is in the driver's seat. Then a man obsessively falls for her and she has to decide whether to open up to love, or at least the possibility of it. This does not play out quite the way it would if this were a Hollywood high concept movie.

There are many minor characters, affectionately drawn. Some pieces of Angèle's past never quite get explained or resolved, which some people might complain about, but, hey, life is a lot like that.

This film is set in Paris, right before and right after Christmas. (I also saw "La Buche" at the same theater, also set in Paris at Christmas, also very good)

The jazzy score is particularly nice.

This is not exactly an upbeat Christmas movie, but it's well worth seeing.