"A hypnotic, neon-infused portrait of financial ambition and gender transcendence, driven by a electrifying debut performance from Claire Pommet."
🎬 Overview
Jeanne (Claire Pommet / Pomme) is a 24-year-old living in a suburban military barracks with her gendarme father and younger siblings. Determined to escape her social class and achieve total personal independence, Jeanne thrusts herself into the high-stakes, hyper-masculine world of Paris investment banking. Operating in an environment dominated by power, corporate hierarchy, and rigid codes, Jeanne navigates the cutthroat financial district not for luxury, but as a battlefield for autonomy—defying traditional gender expectations and social determinism at every step.
🎨 Visual Style & Narrative Craft
Nocturnal & Pulsating Aesthetics: Director Héléna Klotz and cinematographer Thomas Favel craft a stark, luminous visual contrast between the cold concrete of suburban barracks and the sleek, glass-and-steel skyscrapers of La Défense.
Electro-Sonic Immersion: The film’s heartbeat is its mesmerizing electronic score (composed by Ulysse Klotz), which builds an atmospheric, almost dystopian pulse behind Jeanne’s relentless drive.
Subverting Gender & Power: Klotz approaches queer and non-binary identity with quiet, razor-sharp naturalism. Jeanne’s fluid presentation and refusal to conform become a subtle armor against both corporate patriarchy and familial obligation.
🌟 Key Strengths
Unforgettable Lead Performance: French musician Claire Pommet (Pomme) makes a magnetic acting debut, delivering a fierce, restrained, and unpredictable portrayal of quiet intensity.
Bold Social & Class Commentary: A refreshing take on social mobility that strips away romanticism to explore money as a tool for personal sovereignty and gender liberation.
Hypnotic Directorial Voice: Klotz’s deliberate pacing, sharp framing, and sensory immersion turn a financial drama into an atmospheric urban poem.
💬 QueerFilmHub Rating & Final Verdict
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5/5)
QueerFilmHub Perspective:
“Héléna Klotz’s 'Spirit of Ecstasy' is a striking, contemporary jewel of French art-house cinema—a nocturnal portrait of non-conforming ambition that redefines what it means to claim one's freedom in a rigid world.”
