The Balconettes

AroView: Modern feminists will have a blast with this bold directorial debut of Noémie Merlant in which the actress “frees her nipple”, and a lot more besides.

With a script mid-wived by Céline Sciamma (her director on Portrait of a Lady on Fire), it’s a visceral, confrontingly frank French comedy about three women in command of their own bodies – until those ‘blurry lines’ are crossed, with consequences funny, serious and scary, sometimes all at once. The spirit of early Almodovar runs through the set design and the attitude that takes a shameless bitch-slap to the patriarchy.

“An impressively layered genre mishmash that reflects the complex reality of how women are seen in the world, and how they see themselves in return.” ~David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“Nicole, Ruby and Elise are powerfully defiant just by refusing to be intimidated or shaped by patriarchal forces: an idea which rises above the outlandish events unfolding on screen to strike a universal, cathartic chord.” ~Nikki Baughan, Screen Daily

“Despite a few bumpy moments, actor-director Noémie Merlant’s gory feminist horror comedy paints a rowdy, richly imagined portrait of three ladies on fire.” ~Stephen Dalton, The Film Verdict