You keep waiting for something to happen and it all slips like nothing. I think that's the big issue I have with this film: it doesn't compromise with anything, just stays in the surface. It doesn't go on the glamour of the brothel and Claude, it doesn't go into her ties with the police, politicians and mobsters, it doesn't get into the life of the madame and the prostitutes, nor into her past... Some reviews say the ending was worth it... that must be a trap because it's a lame ending.

Siodine never ages and you never see the amazing love she feels for Claude so she has to make a phone call to say it. Just as most of the movie relies on Claude's narration that -as someone already pointed out in another review- it's often the contrary to what is happening in the film.

It's a different movie and not too much happens. It meanders along from start to finish with little change.

It's watchable, but it's not for everyone.

With a little bit of political historical knowledge, or experienced the revolutionary days of 1968 at the universities of france, then you may nod secretly acclaiming for yourself that'' these where the days''...

for the foreigner pompido is a relative unknown figure , degaulle do ring a belle', avenue de pigalle i had on a poster far back in the past, and sexuality and eroticism has always been a trademark for paris, and its interesting to see how sexual trafficking at the local meat market could do as much harm as a war could do.

But its a mess of a movie, naked girls 'en masse', hornication and fornication and copulation on a vast register of variants, you can sense the thrills of the era, but misses to do the deepdive into the material. The humanlessness of a rotten life at the center of a womans body well presented, but not nurished nor well constructed.

Acting is at a good average, no more that the screenplay, and direction can evolute, but its on many paths extremely diluted and non sensic, and you ask yourself why make a film like this. Is it for the history book or is it a biographical work, senselessy told by a woman that built her empire on lies, from day one?!

Well its entertainment folks, ill land on a 5 stars, at the border of neverthelessness, with a little recommend from the grumpy old man.