Elles (1997)
Directed by Luís Galvão Teles

Film Review

This bitter-sweet romantic comedy from Portuguese director Luís Galvão Teles looks at the problem of the female menopause through the inter-connecting lives of five quite different women. Despite the fact that all of the actresses playing the five female leads are nearer to fifty than forty, and despite the hard to fathom location (why was the film set in Lisbon instead of Paris?), this is an engaging film which is a mildly entertaining affair, providing you don't look too deeply beyond the surface gloss and overlook the fact that it is slightly out-dated.

The film is probably most memorable for Carmen Maura's spirited performance as Linda.  Through her many collaborations with Spanish filmaker Pedro Almodóvar (Entre tinieblas (1983), La Ley del deseo (1987), Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988)) Maura has gained an international following and is a welcome addition to any French language film. In Elles, she gets the best lines and the funniest situations.  The story strand involving Miou-Miou's character is also quite strong, conveying the poignancy of a relationship between a middle-aged woman and a far younger man with a striking veracity and a touch of wry humour.

Other parts of the film are less successful, however.  The characters Chloé and Branca appear superfluous to requirements and really just provide an unwelcome distraction from the other story strands.  Overall, the film feels somewhat superficial, probably as a result of having just too many characters, most of  whom are simply not developed in enough depth to appear credible.  Also, the attitudes of the women towards men is typical 1990s stereotyping, something which should have been considered passé when the film was made. These flaws are hard to overlook but they are at least partly recompensed by the enjoyable contributions from the charismatic lead actresses.

Film Synopsis

Linda is a busy television presenter who, along with her four female friends, is the wrong side of 40 and heading for a mid-life crisis.  Linda's pre-occupation with her job costs her her boyfriend.  Barbara is divorced and discovers she may have a terminal illness.  Eva, a college teacher, is having an affair with one of her students. Chloé discovers she is attracted to Branca, who is a man-mad actress who has no time for her drug addict daughter.  By facing their problems together, all of the women manage to muddle through.