Maison Close: Season One

A high-class 1870s Parisian brothel is the setting for this 2010 French TV series, which mixes period décor with a rock score as it tells a tale of women struggling for empowerment in an often brutal, male-dominated society. The Paradise—the name of the bawdy house catering to wealthy clients—is run by Madame Hortense (Valérie Karsenti), whose position is threatened by a menacing debt collector and the return of her sleazy brother, Pierre (Nicolas Briançon). Making matters worse, Madame's chief attraction, Véra (Anne Charrier), plans to become a nobleman's exclusive mistress, but his murder forces Véra to remain, so she tries to organize the girls to demand better treatment. Simultaneously, Rose (Jemima West), a naïve provincial, arrives searching for her mother, only to be pressed into service herself. The twists and turns of these three women's lives are at the center of the series, although other girls as well as patrons are featured, and room is made for historical context as activists try to reenergize the recently crushed socialist Paris Commune. Maison Close is basically a melodramatic soap opera in 19th-century dress, with numerous boudoir scenes that are fairly steamy. It's also well acted (especially by West), handsomely mounted, and burnished with luscious cinematography. Compiling all eight episodes from the debut season, extras include an illustrated booklet. Recommended. (F. Swietek)