An interesting fairy tale from Breillat, chronicling the marriage of a young girl to a notorious gentleman in 18th century France. The key strength of its film is in its quietly horrific tone as a forty- or fifty- something man suspected of killing all his previous wives takes a teenaged bride in need of money for her family. Breillat uses silences and absences to effectively heighten the tension. The contemporary reading of the story offers an effectively creepy counterpoint to the tale as well

"In a perversely tranquil mood, Breillat fractures fairy tales only to celebrate their power to beguile, disturb, and even kill." - Fernando F. Croce

Some fine direction by Breillat, charmingly detailed and acted, with an abrupt and underwhelming denouement.

A nice children's story with horror elements.

13 aralik 09, sinema tarih bulusmasi, 19:00, fransiz kultur merkezi & evet evet, kadinlar o kadar guclu ki 'mavi sakal'in kafasini bile keser... breillant bu filmi kesinlkle menapozdayken cekmis.

Breillat's approach distinguishes her as a provocative filmmaker -- not always satisfactory but always genuine.