REVIEW: Finding love and empowerment in ‘My Sole Desire’
Photo: Louise Chevillotte stars as Manon in My Sole Desire, now available on Film Movement Plus. Photo courtesy of Omnibus Entertainment / Provided by Foundry Comm with permission.
My Sole Desire, the 2022 movie directed by Lucie Borleteau, recently premiered on digital platforms, including Film Movement Plus. The indie feature follows the character of Manon (an exquisite Louise Chevillotte) as she joins a Parisian strip club to earn some money and pay the bills. This particular venue is a little dingy and rough around the edges, but there’s a kind host (Pedro Casablanc) who processes the money at the door and a loving camaraderie among the women who take the stage.
Manon is instantly transfixed by this new world, finding not only a steady paycheck but also a community that provides support, friendship and even true love. Chevillotte, to her immense credit, keeps the character interesting and engaging, showcasing a full journey from nervousness about joining the club to acceptance of this new profession to the power of taking control of one’s life.
Manon eventually befriends Mia (César Award winner Zita Hanrot), who is an aspiring actor who auditions for roles outside of her time at the club. She has definitive goals for her life, which will hopefully set her up for a comfortable living with her child. A nice, but somewhat clingy boyfriend sometimes complicates matters, especially because he doesn’t know what she does professionally, and eventually Manon and Mia become a couple.
Watching Manon, Mia and their coworkers figure out the ways of this club and develop means of staying safe and making money is always fascinating. This is a film less about the sensuality of this chosen profession and more about the drama of these characters trying to gather some much-needed funds, and conflict ensues when Manon decides to take her new job in a different direction, across a line that Mia refuses to cross.
One curious addition to the movie: a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman.
Borleteau, working off a script she co-wrote with Clara Bourreau and Laure Giappiconi, centers the women in this narrative and includes many side stories by following their ups and downs in life, love and work. There is virtually no focus on the male clients of the strip club, leaving the narrative solely with Manon, Mia and their colleagues, which feels 100 percent correct. The story doesn’t judge them for their career choice or make light of the safety issues that are important to discuss and consider. In many ways, My Sole Desire is a movie defined by its display of female empowerment, much more than its display of the human body.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
My Sole Desire (2022). Directed by Lucie Borleteau. Written by Borleteau, Clara Bourreau and Laure Giappiconi. Starring Louise Chevillotte, Zita Hanrot and Pedro Casablanc. Running time: 117 minutes. In French with English subtitles. Currently available digitally and on Film Movement Plus. Rating: 
