Venus Beauty Institute

Rating:
Summary: subtle and fun
Review: A good story, no fireworks (except a little at the very end), a realistic, thoughtful, beautiful story about a woman who has given up on being in love. Angele was once in love and for some reason that is never explained, she did something, apparently in a passionate rage, that scarred her lover's face severely. She seems to feel overwhelmed by guilt for this, and so she refuses to let herself ever be in love again. She goes from man to man, quick one-night (if that long) stands. One day, a much younger man sitting in a cafe overhears her being dumped and, as he says, "is moved" by her. This story is about how she lets herself fall in love again. I loved it. Subplots of the lives of the other girls that work with her at the Venus Beaute Institut round out the story wonderfully. It's not like the typical American romantic/comedy movie, it's much more subtle, much more realistic, much more tender. If you love Meg Ryan type movies, all cuteness and (to me, boring and predictable) smart aleck wise cracks, you might not like this. But then again, you might.

Rating:
Summary: Welcome to "Venus Beauty" where Amelie Met Her First Love
Review: A hit back in France, "Venus Beauty Institute" came here in Japan and USA. I am afraid that the film was seeking audience very hard in theater, though. It's a pity because "Venus Beauty" is a really good movie with superb performance. And it is the place where Audrey Tautou (aka Amelie) was working before she landed in a cafe in Paris. THAT makes the film is worth watching, don't you think?

DVD or VHS's cover will show you three workers (how do you say in English?) at a beauty salon, clad in vivid pink, but the film's main story follows Nathalie Baye's character, Angele, now forty-years-old, whose relationships with a man she loved in the past, it is implied, had not been an easy one. The moment she is ditched by a guy after a 3-days love affair, she encounters a new love without her knowing; in fact, you see behind that guy, an artist Antoine (Samuel Le Bihan, seen in "Brotherhood of Wolf") falls in love at first sight. Suddenly she is told that he loves her, and he keeps on coming in spite of her repeated rejection. Should she accept his love, instead of having an easy relations with forgettable dates, knowing that loving means complicated things, as she experienced before....

In the meanwhile, Angele's co-workers have their own relationships, and they are told (or implied) in a very subdued, subtle way. Samantha (played by Mathilde Seinger, younger sister of Emmanuelle of "The Nineth Gate" and Harrison Ford film "Frantic") seems to keep on having dates every night with different boys. Other worker, youngest Marie (lovely Tautou) is courted by an old, kind gentleman who asks her to come to his house. Among these well-drawn characters, you will meet many strange customers coming to the salon, who make you smile, including a totally naked "Madame Buisse"(!) coming to salon wearing ... a overcoat only.

The greatest virtue of "Beauty Venus" is Nathalie Baye's marvellous acting, which convincingly portrays Angele's fragile side of character, who cannot trust herself to anybody anymore. Her insecurity is sometimes very poignantly expressed, but her pain comes very naturally, because always superb Baye never relies on overacting here. That makes a good contrast to Audrey Tautou's innocent love, which is also an impressive part of the film. For all simple, and in a sense too familiar story of the film, "Venus Beauty" is a memorable film that makes you feel good, thanks to its romantic (but not sugary) atomosphere and insightful study of characters.

Using striking blue and pink colors, the director Tonie Marhall creates a small magical world where pains and regrets of ordinary people are not forgotten, but are presented with a delicate overtone. Everything is told in a understated voice, so you might feel the film is too slow-moving or dull at some times, but good performance and realistic feeling of the salon (they really made it on the street) make up for that. I assure you that next time you go to a beauty salon, you will smile remembering those colorful characters of "Venus Beauty Institute."

The film also gives extra fun to French cinema fans. Look for faces of Frederic Andrei (star of "Diva" -- long time no see), Claire Denis (director of "Nenette and Boni" -- Vince Gallo was there, remember?), Philippe Harel (director of "The Banned Woman") and many, many veteran actors. And Tante Maryse (one of Angele's aunts) is Micheline Presle, the director's mother.

Rating:
Summary: Welcome to "Venus Beauty" where Amelie Met Her First Love
Review: A hit back in France, "Venus Beauty Institute" came here in Japan and USA. I am afraid that the film was seeking audience very hard in theater, though. It's a pity because "Venus Beauty" is a really good movie with superb performance. And it is the place where Audrey Tautou (aka Amelie) was working before she landed in a cafe in Paris. THAT makes the film is worth watching, don't you think?

DVD or VHS's cover will show you three workers (how do you say in English?) at a beauty salon, clad in vivid pink, but the film's main story follows Nathalie Baye's character, Angele, now forty-years-old, whose relationships with a man she loved in the past, it is implied, had not been an easy one. The moment she is ditched by a guy after a 3-days love affair, she encounters a new love without her knowing; in fact, you see behind that guy, an artist Antoine (Samuel Le Bihan, seen in "Brotherhood of Wolf") falls in love at first sight. Suddenly she is told that he loves her, and he keeps on coming in spite of her repeated rejection. Should she accept his love, instead of having an easy relations with forgettable dates, knowing that loving means complicated things, as she experienced before....

In the meanwhile, Angele's co-workers have their own relationships, and they are told (or implied) in a very subdued, subtle way. Samantha (played by Mathilde Seinger, younger sister of Emmanuelle of "The Nineth Gate" and Harrison Ford film "Frantic") seems to keep on having dates every night with different boys. Other worker, youngest Marie (lovely Tautou) is courted by an old, kind gentleman who asks her to come to his house. Among these well-drawn characters, you will meet many strange customers coming to the salon, who make you smile, including a totally naked "Madame Buisse"(!) coming to salon wearing ... a overcoat only.

The greatest virtue of "Beauty Venus" is Nathalie Baye's marvellous acting, which convincingly portrays Angele's fragile side of character, who cannot trust herself to anybody anymore. Her insecurity is sometimes very poignantly expressed, but her pain comes very naturally, because always superb Baye never relies on overacting here. That makes a good contrast to Audrey Tautou's innocent love, which is also an impressive part of the film. For all simple, and in a sense too familiar story of the film, "Venus Beauty" is a memorable film that makes you feel good, thanks to its romantic (but not sugary) atomosphere and insightful study of characters.

Using striking blue and pink colors, the director Tonie Marhall creates a small magical world where pains and regrets of ordinary people are not forgotten, but are presented with a delicate overtone. Everything is told in a understated voice, so you might feel the film is too slow-moving or dull at some times, but good performance and realistic feeling of the salon (they really made it on the street) make up for that. I assure you that next time you go to a beauty salon, you will smile remembering those colorful characters of "Venus Beauty Institute."

The film also gives extra fun to French cinema fans. Look for faces of Frederic Andrei (star of "Diva" -- long time no see), Claire Denis (director of "Nenette and Boni" -- Vince Gallo was there, remember?), Philippe Harel (director of "The Banned Woman") and many, many veteran actors. And Tante Maryse (one of Angele's aunts) is Micheline Presle, the director's mother.

Rating:
Summary: The struggle of Angele to get a good love life
Review: Angele is a forty-something woman working at the title place, where women get makeovers, daubed with anti-aging cream, or get suntans under the ultraviolet lamps. Some men come to get massages, though. The women and men who leave are refreshed, hopefully inside as well as out, with the former being suggestively sold some product before leaving. But not Angele, it seems.

The story evolves around Angele's love life and that of the other employees. At the movie's onset, we see Angele chatting with a man who seems to have all the hallmarks of a decent guy, someone who listens, etc. only later, she gets callously dumped. Antoine, a guy who witnessed the whole thing, falls in love with her and sets out trying to win her over, as his relations with his fiancee are strained. Despite her brush-offs and not-too inviting demeanor, he seems to genuinely want her, and not be one of her one-night stands.

Which brings us back to Angele. Most of her lonely life after hours is spent picking up men at restaurants or train stations for one-nighters. She's insecure after an affair with a long-time lover that involved his face being injured. He's still there, but always doing business abroad. As a result, she comes off as being defensive, easily annoyed and angry, which doesn't do well for her potential pickups. She's been so disappointed to the point that she equates love as another form of slavery, her penchant for one-nighters emphasizing her control in her affairs.

Angele doesn't seem age-conscious here, but Nadine, the proprietor of the Venus Beauty Institute, reminds her that Angele should leave and start a salon of her own, the way women her age should. Her presence here indicates she hasn't grown up, still being one of the "young girls." The key is that maybe in finding Mr. Right, she'll be fulfilled enough to progress further in life as expected for women her age.

The youngest VBI employee, the sweet and innocent-looking Marie, has an interesting relationship with an elderly pilot whose scarred face was given a skin replacement from his devoted wife. His wife is dead and Maria's minstrations to it equates to caring for his wife since her demise. Angele wonders though if anything sinister is going on, given the tips and gifts, including a mink coat, her co-worker gets from the pilot.

Samantha doesn't have much luck in her love life, which becomes detrimental in her attitude to work and Nadine later.

Other interesting things I noticed is the courtesy the employees give their clients. Marie in particular thanks the customers for any tips, and even holds open the door for the exiting client. The most interesting customer is the exhibitionistic Ms. Buisse, who has no qualms about emerging from the tanning rooms full frontal for the public to see, the sight of which draws in gawking males towards the window in one scene.

Nathalie Baye shows once again that she is Cesar-worthy material, as she won Best Actress for her role as Angele, joining her other wins for Every Man For Himself and La Balance. However, it's no surprise that Audrey Tautou won the Most Promising Young Actress award as Marie. I don't know that a movie like this would have won best picture here, but it's a worthy vehicle for Baye, and one of Tautou's better ones.

Rating:
Summary: The struggle of Angele to get a good love life
Review: Angele is a forty-something woman working at the title place, where women get makeovers, daubed with anti-aging cream, or get suntans under the ultraviolet lamps. Some men come to get massages, though. The women and men who leave are refreshed, hopefully inside as well as out, with the former being suggestively sold some product before leaving. But not Angele, it seems.

The story evolves around Angele's love life and that of the other employees. At the movie's onset, we see Angele chatting with a man who seems to have all the hallmarks of a decent guy, someone who listens, etc. only later, she gets callously dumped. Antoine, a guy who witnessed the whole thing, falls in love with her and sets out trying to win her over, as his relations with his fiancee are strained. Despite her brush-offs and not-too inviting demeanor, he seems to genuinely want her, and not be one of her one-night stands.

Which brings us back to Angele. Most of her lonely life after hours is spent picking up men at restaurants or train stations for one-nighters. She's insecure after an affair with a long-time lover that involved his face being injured. He's still there, but always doing business abroad. As a result, she comes off as being defensive, easily annoyed and angry, which doesn't do well for her potential pickups. She's been so disappointed to the point that she equates love as another form of slavery, her penchant for one-nighters emphasizing her control in her affairs.

Angele doesn't seem age-conscious here, but Nadine, the proprietor of the Venus Beauty Institute, reminds her that Angele should leave and start a salon of her own, the way women her age should. Her presence here indicates she hasn't grown up, still being one of the "young girls." The key is that maybe in finding Mr. Right, she'll be fulfilled enough to progress further in life as expected for women her age.

The youngest VBI employee, the sweet and innocent-looking Marie, has an interesting relationship with an elderly pilot whose scarred face was given a skin replacement from his devoted wife. His wife is dead and Maria's minstrations to it equates to caring for his wife since her demise. Angele wonders though if anything sinister is going on, given the tips and gifts, including a mink coat, her co-worker gets from the pilot.

Samantha doesn't have much luck in her love life, which becomes detrimental in her attitude to work and Nadine later.

Other interesting things I noticed is the courtesy the employees give their clients. Marie in particular thanks the customers for any tips, and even holds open the door for the exiting client. The most interesting customer is the exhibitionistic Ms. Buisse, who has no qualms about emerging from the tanning rooms full frontal for the public to see, the sight of which draws in gawking males towards the window in one scene.

Nathalie Baye shows once again that she is Cesar-worthy material, as she won Best Actress for her role as Angele, joining her other wins for Every Man For Himself and La Balance. However, it's no surprise that Audrey Tautou won the Most Promising Young Actress award as Marie. I don't know that a movie like this would have won best picture here, but it's a worthy vehicle for Baye, and one of Tautou's better ones.

Rating:
Summary: A boring, pointless film
Review: Boy these Amazon Editorials are inconsistent! After seeing Amelie I rushed out to see everything else that Audrey Toutau has done. I think she's absolutely adorable. However, avoid this one. First of all, despite the cover, she's barely in it (maybe for 5 minutes). The main female lead is unlikable. Although there are a few (very few) moments of humor, this film is a complete waste. There's really no beginning, middle, or end. I was so disappointed in this!

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful film......
Review: I bought this film to practice my French. I figured it was fluffy, but would prove more interesting than language lab. I was right. However, it not only beats language lab, it is film of great depth--and pleasing to the eye. Nathalie Baye, who plays the lead character Angele in the VENUS BEAUTY INSTITUTE, played the wife to Gerhard Depardieu's husband in THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE. She is not a terribly pretty woman, but like most French women she has a "certain something, I know not what" and is a fine actress. The film is currently being marketed as an early Audrey Tautou film (she plays Marie, the 20-year old beautician who becomes involved with an older man), but Tautou has ninth billing and much less screen time than Baye.

Angele is very unhappy. She apparently has never been able to make a committment to a man. One man with whom she apparently had an earlier serious relationship appears throughout the film (she runs back to him whenever she is wounded), and it seems she may have once loved him, but somehow she shot him in the face.

Angele uses casual sex to deal with her unhappiness. Her tactics frequently led to bad experiences. One day as she is being dumped by her latest jerk, a young man who looks suspiciously like a young relative of Depardieu approaches her and tells her he has fallen in love with her. The rest of the film tells their story--including an ex-fiancee with a gun.

This is a beautiful film. The story is beautiful. The film contains beautiful shot after shot. I am attracted to color and the celadon greens, mango pinks, celestial blues, and others are fabulous colors are to die for (think Jamaica). The interior shots of the beauty institute, the apartments, the homes are filled with color and ambient lighting. Poitiers Cathedral at Christmas and the Christmas lights on the street are lovely.

I've spent a lot of time in salons being waxed, and plucked, and poked, and baked under a hair drier, and I have never seen the salon so well depicted. The characters who receive Angele's ministrations are treated with loving kindness and lots of hot wax and scented oil. This film is so REAL and if it says anything it says that LOVE is where you find it, even if it involves torture.

Rating:
Summary: The secret life of beauticians
Review: I decided to watch VENUS BEAUTY INSTITUTE for the sole reason of seeing Audrey Tautou before her appearance in the smash hit AMELIE. Though Audrey is as enchanting as I've ever seen her, perhaps I was too hasty.

The focal point of the film is a French beauty shop, which offers mud packs, massages, a tanning booth, depilatory treatments, and the usual array of cosmetics. The heroine is Angele (Nathalie Baye), whose love life, or lack of one, is pretty much the plot. As the movie opens, Angele, no longer in youth's bloom and on the wrong side of thirty, is professing a budding affection to a younger man, who, the cad, callously dumps her after a weekend stand. As an emotional defense, Angele bitterly retreats behind the walls of Woman Scorned. Soon faced with a complete stranger, Antoine (Samuel Le Bihan), who ardently professes his undying love, Angele is determined to keep him at arm's length. In the meantime, Angele's sweetly innocent co-worker, Marie (Tautou), is slowly being seduced by a much older man who regularly visits the shop for facials. Then there's the third beautician, Samantha (Mathilde Seigner), who's only waiting to give the shop's owner, Madame Nadine (Bulle Ogier), the proverbial finger before returning to a real job - nursing.

If the strength of VENUS BEAUTY INSTITUTE lies in its depiction of the on-the-job interaction between the shop's employees, then the film is perhaps too much of a chick flick for me, though my wife wasn't terribly impressed with it either. Watching Angele's angst do battle with hormones wasn't riveting cinema.

Audrey Tautou is perhaps even more enthralling than that other love of my life, Audrey Hepburn. As I've stated before, Tautou's liquid brown eyes could melt linoleum. She doesn't disappoint in this film, though her role is disappointingly small. And, male pig that I am, I did pay close attention when one of the shop's statuesquely beautiful customers (Claire Nebout), an exhibitionist, twice strutted all her stuff full frontal. Beyond these diversions, however, VENUS BEAUTY INSTITUTE was a yawner. And the little sound effect that played every time the beauty shop's front door opened drove me nuts.

Rating:
Summary: Aspect Ratio Abortion
Review: I hate this sort of deceptive DVD.
The box says that the movie is in its proper aspect ratio of 1.85, but only the titles are 1.85.
The Rest of the movie is in Full screen 1.33.
This means, of course, that part of the director's vision has been arbitrarily hacked away and discarded.
A pox on the adulterators of cinema art!

Rating:
Summary: Not great, but worth a look
Review: I think a lot is lost in translation of movies, both with emotions and continuity. Nevertheless, I found this movie charming and entertaining, enough to keep me awake to read the subtitles. And I saw this BEFORE I saw Amelie. It really is a cute film with a good storyline.