Club de femmes: A Messy, Smoldering French Classic

Is this for you?

If you like movies that feel like a gossip session gone wrong in a 1930s hotel, you’ll probably dig Club de femmes. It’s got that specific, slightly frantic energy where everyone is hiding something behind a lace curtain.

But if you need a clean plot or characters who make rational life choices, keep walking. This movie is built on bad decisions and people getting into messes they absolutely shouldn't be in.

The whole thing takes place in this boarding house that acts like a pressure cooker. It’s basically a "no-men-allowed" zone, but you can feel the tension from the first ten minutes. Jacques Deval really captured that feeling of being stuck in a room with people you both love and can't stand.

There is a girl who sneaks her lover in, and honestly, the way the tension builds around that single room is better than any big-budget thriller I’ve seen this year. You’re just waiting for the manager to walk in, and when things go south, it’s not even dramatic—it’s just sad and real.

The Vibes

It’s not just about the sneaking around, though. There’s this one young woman who just radiates this intense, nervous energy every time she looks at another girl in the hall. It’s not subtle. It’s barely even hinted at—it’s just there.

The manager of the hotel is a total disaster, by the way. She’s trying so hard to keep things "proper" while she’s clearly failing at her own life. It’s kind of funny, in a bleak way. She reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Melo, where everyone is just a few words away from losing their mind.

• The lighting in the hallways feels so cramped, which helps the mood.
• The dialogue is fast. You have to pay attention or you’ll miss the best insults.
• There’s a subplot about a slavery ring that feels like it wandered in from a much darker, grittier movie.

I caught myself wondering why they even bothered with the censors back then. It’s a movie about women just trying to exist, and the fact that it was such a scandal feels kind of quaint now. It’s got more life in its pinky finger than most of the stiff stuff from that era.

Maybe it’s not a masterpiece. The pacing dips in the middle, and I’m still not sure why the slavery subplot was shoved in there so abruptly. But it stays with you. It feels like a note someone left in a diary they meant to burn.

Also, don't get me started on the fashion. Everyone looks tired, which is exactly how people living in a boarding house should look. It’s a nice change from the polished, fake-looking stuff you usually see from the 30s. 🥂