Movie review – “House of Tolerance” (2011) *1/2

I saw this at Cannes where it was selected for competition and earned an eight minute standing ovation but thought it was dreadful. Films about hookers at festivals make me go “uh oh” from the get-go and little of what followed made me change my mind. It's set in a brothel at the beginning of the 20th century. There's plenty of nudity and sex but little of it is erotic. There's plenty of intriguing set ups and characterisations too but little of it followed through. An example is there’s this good bit where there’s a sudden jolt of violence – a cut to a woman who’s been disfigured. But this is dropped for a great slab of time. Then the woman is brought in, walks in and out of the action. They occasionally flashback to the incident (as if to try and jolt some more excitement into the action). Then bring back the assailant at the end and there's this animal and... oh it's just dull.

They also set up this really interesting character- a 16 year old who wants to join the brothel – then do nothing with her. Ditto a Muslim girl, a lesbian. There’s a bit of period detail – doctors inspecting the girls, the money involved – but never enough. It goes on and on and on. And has a scene where a girl cries tears of semen. I did like the credit sequence and use of modern music.