User reviews

There's something quite unnerving about this film. It all starts when the young "Rosalie" (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) is essentially dowered out to bar owner "Abel" (Benoît Magimel) so her father can be rid of her and so that her new husband can be rid of his debts. "Abel" is actually quite a decent man, recently returned from the wars, but he is ill-equipped for what he discovers on his wedding night. She suffers from the rare condition of hirsutism and he is repulsed by it. Her dowry didn't quite settle his bills with landlord "Barcelin" (Benjamin Biolay) and with his future on the line, she decides that it's time to go on the front foot and display her beardedness. Initially sceptical, it appears that the community are less intimidated by her than "Abel" had feared, indeed there seems to be an attraction developing between her and "Barcelin". The main drawback she faces, though, is an inability to bear children - that which she wishes for most. His solution is that they adopt, and this is when true colours are displayed and the story takes a slightly more predicable turn - especially as she begins to fall prey to the exploiters who see her as little better than a circus act. It's a love story, one of despair and one that illustrates not just power of superstition but also the continuing role of women in a society that saw them as goods to barter. It looks authentic, and though could maybe do with a little tightening up - there are quite a few repetitious scenes that don't really add much, is well delivered by an on-form Tereskiewicz and from the understated but potent Magimel which coupled with an emotive score from classical and Hania Rani sources to augment it too, makes for an interesting drama that is well worth a watch.

It's impossible that doctors would have known about PCOS at this time in history, as that scene with the doctor suggests. This is a very recent discovery (20th century) that received a name even more recently.

It's difficult to side with or relate to any of the leads because they have very conflicting and confusing attitudes and behaviours and I just can't understand them. Rosalie is terrified of Deluc's reaction in the beginning and does everything to "hide" her "affliction" for as long as she can. Then she does a 180 and will not conceal herself anymore, even going so far as displaying herself and profiting as much as possible from the general curiosity, regardless of the emotional costs, to herself or her husband. And while he is awful to her it's easy to see why he would've preferred not to be exposed like that, with his wife becoming a circus act.

The beard was not particularly fetching for me tbh and the ending scene left me dissatisfied.

Otherwise, it's a decently shot period drama.