'Rosalie' Review: A Bearded Lady Blooms in an Accessible French Romantic Period

Based on her debut novel The Dancer, a decorative Folies Bergere alumni biopic and fin de siècle The bohemian Loie Fuller, French director Stephanie di Giusto returns 1870 Century with Rosalie , another feminist tale of a sensual, unusual woman who was ahead of her time.

However, the theme here is not a specific historical figure, but a complex of various people of that era, and they all have the same situation as the heroine of the same name: Hairy, or hairy, conditions that create the so-called “bearded lady.” Both a matter-of-fact speculation (spoiler alert: not very good, at least at first) about how husbands and the town would react to someone like them in their midst, and a thinly veiled allegory about intolerance, Rosalie delivers an offbeat period drama segment well worth watching. The writing gets a bit bombastic and clumsy in the final act, but thanks to the charisma of Nadia Tereszkiewicz as Rosalie and Benoît Magimel as her husband Abel, it’s a perfect fit for the outlet—apart from the red state, which probably can’t handle anything that smells even vaguely Resistance stuff. Rosalie

Bottom line Love wins over hairy situations.

Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard)
actor:
Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Benoit Magimel, Benjamin Biolay, Guillaume Gouix, Gustave Kevern, Anna Biolay, Eugene Marcuse, Juliette Armanet Director: Stephanie di Giusto

screenwriter:
Stéphanie di Giusto, Sandrine le Coustumer, based on Sandrine le Coustumer, Alexandra Echkenazi

1 hour 51 minutes

the time is 51s, the location is a rural area in northern France, where local farmers are now working in a factory producing some unspecified of things, not in the fields. Abel (Magimel, piano teacher ) is a military veteran in his forties with a broken back and debts to the local factory owner Basselin (Benjamin Biolay). He agrees to marry Rosalie (Tereszkiewicz,

Forever Young) – who is almost married in her twenties Beyond the Hillside Market – as she brings her father Paul’s (Gustav Kerwin) dowry, which will help him pay off some of these debts. Plus, she could help Abel’s café in town, which is struggling to attract customers thanks to the temperance advocacy of the local clergy and Basselin, who doesn’t want his workers slack.

At first, Abel was satisfied with his new bride. Although she was a bit shy, she had sleepy eyes and a fair milky complexion. She was a beautiful woman. She also happens to be handy with a needle and makes her own clothes. (Madeleine Fontaine’s costume design was detailed in every way.) Their first night as a married couple didn’t go well, however, when Abel discovered that her chest and back were covered in hair. With her father’s help, she managed to control the hair growing on her face, but before epilators and depilatory creams, she had learned to live with it in a fairly healthy way and hoped that Abel would too. Sadly, he was rejected at first, and the marriage wasn’t consummated until later in the film.

However, Rosalie’s sunny attitude and charming demeanor attract customers, and one day she makes a bet with another customer to see who can grow the better beard. Abel is of course grumpy, but Rosalie thinks her beard will attract tourists, like a circus show. In fact, that’s how it happened, and it wasn’t long before the locals were smitten with Rosalie, who despite her bushy strawberry blond beard managed to maintain a very feminine demeanor.

Of course, di Giusto and her screenwriting collaborators Sandrine le Coustumer and Alexandra Echkenazi couldn’t let this happy situation continue, if there was any drama at all. Therefore, some interruptions and obstacles must be introduced to Rosalie and Abel’s happiness. Barcelin is plotting to keep her ostracized by the community (who are condescendingly portrayed as spineless sheep who change their minds about Rosalie at the slightest pressure).

Later, our admirable heroine makes a very serious error of judgment – totally atypical for petit bourgeois women of her day — when she agreed to be photographed by a photographer friend, her half-naked photos of course immediately circulated in the community. Presumably, the movie wants us to applaud Rosalie’s hair for her positive self-acceptance and bravery in presenting herself as a sexual being in her own way, which is very true these days. But in the 893734 years, it’s practically a suicidal decision, and some viewers like me may find themselves After the main character made this very unwise move, putting everything she worked so hard for at risk.

Rest assured, regardless of logic, things are going well for Rosalie and Abel, like lovers in an upbeat romance novel. Indeed, for all the debate over social mores and self-acceptance, this is very much a love story aimed at a female audience and fellow travelers, complete with candlelit love scenes and all the pretty lace trimmings.

Full Credits

Venue: Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard)

Cast: Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Benoit Magimel, Benjamin Biolet, Guillaume Goux, Gustave Kevin, Anna Biolet, Eugene Marcuse, Juliette Armanay

Production Company: Tresor Films, Gaumont, Laurent Dassault Rond-Point, Artemis Productions Director: Stephanie di GiustoWriters: Stéphanie di Giusto, Sandrine le Coustumer, based on Sandrine le Coustumer, Alexandra Echkenazi

Producer’s Handling: Alain Attal Director of Photography: Christos Voudouris

Production Designer: Laurent Ott

Costume Designer: Madeleine Fontaine Editing: Nassim Gordji-Tehrani Music: Hania RaniCasting: Pascale Beraud
Sales: Gaumont 1 hour51 minutes

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