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The Women on the 6th Floor

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Wikipedia article




'The Women on the 6th Floor' (; also known as 'Service Entrance') is a 2010 French film directed and part-written by Philippe Le Guay.[http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=133404.html Page on allocine.fr] Retrieved 24 March 2011 [http://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/article/2011/02/15/les-femmes-du-6e-etage-inconfort-materiel-et-chaleur-humaine-des-chambres-de-bonne_1480444_3476.html "Les Femmes du 6e tage" : inconfort matriel et chaleur humaine des chambres de bonne] 'Le Monde', 15 February 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011. Principal roles are taken by Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain, Natalia Verbeke and Carmen Maura.

Set in Paris in 1962, the story alternates between two different worlds. One is a traditional wealthy family in a comfortable apartment, whose lives are devoted to making money and meaningless socialising. The other is the underpaid and overworked domestic servants living in cramped conditions above them. As few French people want such work, the jobs are taken by Spanish women, eager to escape the poverty and oppression of Francoist Spain, who bring with them their native solidarity and human warmth.Van Hoej, Brad [https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117944619?refcatid=31 The Women on the Sixth Floor -Les Femmes du 6e etage], 'Variety', 15 February 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.

Plot



Jean-Louis Joubert is a stockbroker living with his wife Suzanne, who does not work, in a large apartment. The family's French maid leaves after a dispute, so Suzanne goes to a church where the priest finds jobs for Spanish immigrants. There she hires Mara, young and pretty, who speaks French and is the niece of Concepcin, the maid for another family in the same building.

The apartment is a mess after days without a maid and Concepcin gets some of her Spanish friends to rally round and clean it up, to the surprise and delight of Suzanne. When Suzanne wants some furniture moved up to a little room on the 6th floor that they use for storage, Jean-Louis discovers that the other little rooms there, all unheated, are occupied by Spanish maids, including their Mara. There is only one cold water tap on the landing for them to wash themselves and one Turkish toilet that is forever getting blocked. He calls a plumber to fix the toilet and says that Mara can use their own bathroom. He also lets another maid come in to use their phone for an urgent call home.

Though he has been struck by Mara since first seeing her, he becomes a friend to the other women too and starts learning about Spanish language, life and culture. His wife Suzanne begins to worry, not about the maids who are mostly not young or beautiful and in any case are only servants, but about a rich client of his called Bettina de Brossolettes who is a notorious maneater. When they have a cocktail party in their flat, she is furious on finding that Bettina is invited. During the party Jean-Louis catches a hired waiter trying to kiss Mara and, furious, sacks him on the spot. Mara, furious now that Jean-Louis has openly revealed his feelings for her, accuses him of being a lecher and treats him with contempt.

Meanwhile Jean-Louis has found a new post for one of the Spanish women, who invites him and all the others to a paella party. When Mara turns up, she is furious to find Jean-Louis there and enjoying himself. Arriving home late to a furious Suzanne, he is accused of having been with Bettina. He says that he was and agrees to move out. Taking over the storeroom on the 6th floor, he is not only close to Mara but becomes more closely involved in the lives of the other women on the floor. He goes to their church on Sundays, a new experience for him, and takes some of them in his car for a pilgrimage to Lisieux.

Concepcin is now worried that Mara will again fall for a man who will not marry her and, to stop any affair between the two, tells Mara where in Spain the son of her previous relationship now is. Mara immediately tells Suzanne she is leaving to return to Spain and, going upstairs in an emotional state, lets Jean-Louis take her into his room and kiss her. She spends the night with him and next day disappears to Spain. He is very hurt, not only because she did not tell him but also because all the other women he thought his friends were silent too.

Three years later, Jean-Louis drives to Spain looking for Concepcin. When he tracks her down, she claims she does not know where Mara is. However her husband, who recognises what Jean-Louis is feeling, secretly tells him. When he drives there, he sees Mara hanging out her washing and the looks that the two exchange show their love for each other.

Cast



* Fabrice Luchini as Jean-Louis Joubert

* Sandrine Kiberlain as Suzanne Joubert

* Natalia Verbeke as Mara Gonzalez

* Carmen Maura as Concepcin Ramirez

* Lola Dueas as Carmen

* Berta Ojea as Dolores Carbalan

* Nuria Sol as Teresa

* Concha Galn as Pilar

* Audrey Fleurot as Bettina de Brossolette

* Marie-Armelle Deguy as Colette de Bergeret

* Muriel Solvay as Nicole de Grandcourt

* Philippe Duquesne as Grard

* Annie Mercier as Madame Triboulet

* Michle Gleizer as Germaine Bronech

* Camille Gigot as Bertrand Joubert

* Jean-Charles Deval as Olivier Joubert

* Christine Vzinet as Valentine

* Jeupeu as Boulard

* Vincent Nemeth as Monsieur Armand

* Philippe du Janerand as Piquer

* Patrick Bonnel as Golmard

* Laurent Claret as Blamond

* Jean-Claude Jay as Pelletier

* Joan Massotkleiner as Fernando

* Ivan Martin Salan as Miguel

Production



Two of the Spanish actresses, Berta Ojea and Concha Galn, did not speak French before the film and learned their roles phonetically.

Release



The film premired at the Montpellier International Festival of Mediterranean Film on 23 October 2010 and its cinematic run in France began on 16 February 2011. First shown in the USA in March 2011 at Rendezvous with French Cinema, it began its release there on 7 October 2011. The film was screened out of competition at the Berlinale in 2011.

Reception



It was well received by critics and audiences. 'Le Monde' wrote "The entertainment is as good as the actors are pitch-perfect. Fabrice Luchini and Sandrine Kiberlain are among our best stars." Dissenting, 'La Croix' described the "lazy screenplay, poor dialogue, catalogue of clichs, poor quality mise en scne".[http://www.la-croix.com/-Les-femmes-du-6e-etage---le-patron-coince-et-les-rudes-Iber/article/2455633/5548 Les femmes du 6e tage : le patron coinc et les rudes Ibres] 'La Croix',15 February 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011. The 'New York Press' reviewed the film at the Rendez-vous with French Film festival in New York, calling it "charming".[http://www.nypress.com/blog-8426-rendez-vous-lsservice-entrancers-will-leave-you-charmed-by-the-help.html]

Awards



The movie was nominated in three categories at the Csar Award 2012 : Best costume design, Best production design and Best supporting actress. It won the Best supporting actress Csar - Carmen Maura.

Discography



The original soundtrack to 'Les Femmes du 6e tage' is included on the CD compilation 'Les Musiques de Jorge Arriagada pour les films de Philippe Le Guay', released by Canadian label Disques Cinmusique in 2013. French and English liner notes.

References




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