The Mad Women's Ball

"Interesting movie about the cruel treatment women have been receiving since the world began. We know how misogynistic society is and this movie gives a good brushstroke of it in the 19th century. Based on Victoria Mas' book and directed by Mélanie Laurent, who also stars in the feature, we see the importance of such a story being adapted by a female mind. Laurent may still be known as just the woman who takes revenge on Hitler in 'Inglourious Basterds', but her importance in cinema goes beyond that. This is the sixth movie she acts as director and, after a 10-year pause, she shows how well she can exercise this function. 'The Mad Women's Ball' is a strong, heartbreaking and extremely raw portrayal of what it is to be a woman. At the same time it manages to be cruel, it doesn't fail to be banal. In the end, we are aware of everything the production denounces, but we simply close our eyes to most of it - this doesn't just refer to machismo, but to other sensitive topics such as prejudice, for example. Laurent is honest but also delicate when approaching the female universe."