The Shady Lady
2017 · 1h 21m
Watch this tonight if you're in the mood for a lavish, unconventional character study about an impossible love story set in early 20th-century Europe. It's a niche film that demands patience and rewards curiosity—perfect for when you want something utterly different from the usual streaming rotation.
Plot
1910. Charlotte Dufrène, a former demimondaine secluded in elegant society close to Paris, has to accept a strange proposal: to become the pretend companion of Raymond Roussel, an eccentric writer and secret homosexual. She would spend twenty-three years by his side, accompanying him right to the end of a hallucinated quest. From Brussels, where she then retreats, she recalls the day preceding this decisive meeting and the flamboyant celebration that was then given in her honor. Letters sent by Charlotte Dufrène between 1933 and 1964 support this narrative.
Director: Guy Bordin
Cast: Lea Petra