Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh until Thu 15 Mar

Bertrand Bonello / France / 2011 / 126 mins

Prostitution is such a fascinating topic: legal in some countries, prohibited in others; seen as a form of feminist liberation by some academics, deemed exploitative and wicked by others; considered a moral issue by some, a cultural one by others. It’s a shame then that Bertrand Bonello’s look into a Parisian brothel at the dawn of the 20th century fails to hold any real sense of discussion on the subject.

The smoky lounge area, scattered with maroon furniture and Victorian fixtures, does generate a sort of authentic atmosphere. As the girls swan around the room, flirting and draping themselves over the rich clientele, there’s a refined bawdiness which isn’t overtly “naughty”, rather restrained. But Bonello only half explores their profession; they occasionally chat about how they will never escape the brothel as the Madam will make sure their debts remain extortionate – but it’s a longing for freedom which is trapped in the literal exploration of sex in the film. Syphilis is seen as a consequence of their lifestyles, something deserved and inevitable, which creates a moral verdict that condemns the girls, literally, to death. There is no real empathic reflection or intelligence to Bonello’s film, only callous judgment, mildy attractive aesthetics and dubious confrontation.