247. Alice; movie review

ALICE
Cert 15
105 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong sex, sex references, domestic abuse, sexual assault, language

How well do you know your partner?
Alice (Emilie Piponnier) thought she had the perfect husband in Francois (Martin Swabey) and a wonderful life with their little boy in their Paris apartment.
And then, out of the blue, her credit cards are declined while shopping and she discovers he has spent all of their money on high-end escorts.
On top of that, he has disappeared, leaving Alice to handle the prospect of her and her son being evicted from their home in just two weeks.
Inevitably, she becomes desperate and her plight is exacerbated when her appeal for help from her mother is turned down.
Thus, she adapts the mantra "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" because the only way of earning the huge bucks needed to save her house is to become an escort herself.
This is light relief in more way than one because there are some laugh-out-loud moments in her first clumsy meetings in the sex trade.
She is shown the ropes by a more experienced hand (Chloé Boreham) who becomes her best friend.
Josephine Mackerras' film explores female financial independence and empowerment as Alice suddenly discovers freedom she didn't realise could exist.
Meanwhile, the question of morals, as well as money, raises its head.
All relationships are complex but this movie takes its scenarios to the extreme and, consequently, occasionally drifts into the unbelievable.
But I was mightily impressed by the cast, particularly Piponnier, who expertly reflects the desperation of a mother who is powerless as her marriage spins out of control while also managing a few laughs between the tears.
I have been hoping for a spark of originality during this bleak summer for cinema and there was definitely one here.

Reasons to watch: A very different revenge/self-discovery story
Reasons to avoid: Slightly too bizarre for some

Laughs: Three
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Prostitution in France was legal until April 2016 but several surrounding activities were illegal, like operating a brothel, pimping and paying for sex with someone under the age of 18 (the age of consent for sex is 15). On 6 April 2016, the French National Assembly voted to punish customers of prostitutes by a fine of €1,500.

The final word. Josephine Mackerras: "Alice shows how threatening a strong woman is to a man and how dangerous a weak man can be. He’s sort of like a baby screaming for his mother. It’s a dangerous mix of a fully-grown man watching his wife not need him anymore." Battle Royale With Cheese

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