Hi everyone!
Welcome back to Worldwide Wednesday! We’re checking out a Netflix Original that is a collaboration between Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States today, a biopic about a famous, or perhaps infamous, Parisian stage actress. For other films that were developed in collaboration with Belgium, check out “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” (Episode #082), “I Kill Giants” (Episode #177) which is also an XYZ Films presentation, “Nocturama” (Episode #184), and “The Insult” (Episode #196). And for a film about other forbidden theaters, check out “The Handmaiden” (Episode #122). And if you have any favorites from the Belgian film scene, let me know at onemoviepunch.com.
And now...
Today’s movie is “The Most Assassinated Woman in the World” (2018), the Netflix Original biopic directed by Franck Ribière and written for the screen in collaboration with Vérane Frédiani and David Murdoch, based on a story idea from David Murdoch and James Charkow. The film follows Paula Maxa (Anna Mouglalis), the Parisian actress who was killed on stage multiple times in gruesome fashion at the infamous Grand Guignol Theater. However, when a series of murders surrounding the theater begin to happen, an investigation is launched into Paula’s life and those around her.
Spoilers ahead.
Also, a trigger warning. This film deals with stalking, sexual assault, and some pretty graphic violence. I don’t reference those items too much in this review, but if any of those topics bother you, then skip today’s episode.
I always hate it when people ask questions like, “Which did you like better, the book or the movie?” or “Did you like the stage version or the screen version better?”. I find comparing one medium to another to be a fruitless task, as each medium has its strengths and weaknesses. Books allow the reader to use more of their imagination. Movies have the ability to perfect each scene and use multiple sets. The stage brings a realness and emotion that you simply cannot get on the screen. In fact, perhaps one of the biggest rivalries for the last 100 or so years has been stage versus screen, so when a film is made about the stage, or a play is made about the screen, it always invites these comparisons. That is, unless, you set up one as a tribute to the other, and suddenly we’re in interesting territory.
“The Most Assassinated Woman in the World” follows Paula Maxa, the stage name of Marie-Thérèse Beau. It also follows the controversy surrounding the Grand-Guignol Theater, known for its dark and disturbing forms of entertainment. This theater, and others like it, were the inspiration for the “Théâtre des Vampires” in “Interview with a Vampire”, and other theaters catering to similar themes. Paula is an actual subject, but this script is not a faithful adaptation of her life. Rather, the script plays fast and loose with her life, blending it with a series of murders, and tying it back to her earlier trauma via mental instability she suffers. It’s not just a biopic, but a mystery, and one that is set very well in 1930s Paris, with the stylized notions of film noir. It’s both intentionally artistic and gripping as a story. For the most part.
One area I had some trouble with was the musical score. I don’t consider myself a stickler for period-specific instruments, but I found the use of electric guitar to pull me out of the moment, which is a real shame given the nice jazz and downtempo feel to the rest of the score, both during the stage shows and for the rest of the film. I also thought some of the transitions felt rushed, especially putting together the potential murder, and the ending, while a nice twist that helps things fall in line with Maxa’s actual story, is also somewhat confusing. It’s a clever adaptation, maybe too clever, but it’s also a great one, and well worth the time investment.
“The Most Assassinated Woman in the World” (2018) is a mostly fictional biopic about Paula Maxa, star of the infamous Grand-Guignol Theater. The film explores the conflict between stage and screen, but also the fascination with the macabre and questioning the limits of expression in art as a whole. Fans of noir films, or films from the time period, or films about the stage should definitely check out this film, but be aware of all the obvious trigger warnings.
Rotten Tomatoes: NR
Metacritic: NR
One Movie Punch: 8.2/10
“The Most Assassinated Woman in the World” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix and in select theaters.
