This meandering and only partially involving romantic comedy, written and directed by former actress Tonie Marshall, revolves around a Parisian beauty parlour.
Run by the ultra-efficient Nadine (Ogier), the salon is staffed by three very different women, including the middle-aged Angele (Baye), who shies away from long-term relationships, preferring one-night stands. And then one day a handsome young stranger (Le Bihan) comes up to her and declares that he's fallen in love with her. She eventually becomes romantically involved with him, only to learn that his girlfriend is one of her clients...
Venus Beauty seeks to probe beneath the surface of its characters' lives, revealing their underlying insecurities and desires. Despite some opaque motivations, it's still assuredly acted, with a vein of wry humour, while the imaginatively designed shop, an oasis of colour amid the drab urban milieu, proves a memorable central location.
