À mon seul désir

Absolutely embarrassing film. It is well shot, great actresses and the dumbest story I could imagine being written in this day and age. I would say what can you expect from misogynistic French cinema except that it was written and directed by women! These women work as strippers and are portrayed as appearing in front of a small handful of very polite men who respect women because of course that is just how strip clubs work🤣. It even has the audacity to have a couple of them be hookers with again no issues or repercussions. In fact they sell it as a great way to make money and buy an apartment! Can't wait for the sequel where it shows human trafficking of underage girls as simply misunderstood daycare. A truly appalling effort that makes you think it was created entirely by men who are using female pseudonyms. The entire nation of Franc should be embarrassed about the portrayal of this line of work. Women still have a long way to go before they are thought of as more than props in movies.

I must admit to being slightly confused as to what I really feel about this. Overall, I think it works well as an insight into a generally peer-supportive community of sex workers, within which it explores a range of scenarios - some cliched, some not. However, I do wonder whether (as a man) I'm seeing a somewhat-sanitised and "male fantasy" version of this world that, in reality, is a lot harsher? I'm really not sure. Therefore, taken at face value and believing that Manon / Aurore really is OK with this and all it implies, I think that the exploration of her romantic feelings as separate from her "business dealings" is quite well done - and the nightclub as pictured looks quite fun (certainly much more so than the dreary and unerotic example in Egoyan's dreadful "Exotica"). Worth a look.

It is immediately apparent to people trained on American movies that something is really wrong with this film. Girls are unashamedly exploring their sexual freedom and desire, they profit from it, grow as people, love each other and themselves and nothing terrible happens to them in the end. Is that even possible? Isn't being young and sexual and beautiful the ultimate sin that needs divine punishment? Luckily, this is a French film and it explores the lives of strippers and occasionally sex workers in a benign and wondrously exploratory way. The girls are beautiful and there is lots of nudity, but I didn't feel like it was exploitative. In the end it is a love story on the background of navigating your own desires and needs. Refreshing.

A hugely satisfying experience from start to finish, My Sole Desire weaves a lot of artistry throughout what could have easily just been a sweaty and stain-covered mess of tired tropes and exploitation. Kudos to Borleteau, and all of her collaborators, for producing something far removed from that. This is, in fact, quite brilliant, and it's just as equally about love and friendship as it is about sex and dancing ... this from the only critic-review in English (read-it it's quite good).. a very adept concise summary of this wonderful little film... it'll well hold up to repeated viewings, its emotions genuine, acting superb, and production-values-remarkable.. these kinds of films are rarely as exceptional ... agree with the sentiment, thanks-bravo to all involved in its creation.