The Women of the Sixth Floor

The Women Of The Sixth Floor

This is French cinema at its best. The reviews led me to believe this is a film about a rich man falling for one of his maids. I thought ‘Here we go again with those naughty Frenchmen.” The film is funny but there is still a serious undertone about a man who changes his values and begins to understand the downtrodden and helps them. In so doing he becomes a better person.
Jean Louis Joubert is a wealthy man living a good but boring life. His wife is cold and spends her time having tea, shopping and being exhausted from her boring rituals. Their two sons are arrogant and spoilt. They live on the first floor of an apartment building. The maids for all the residents of the apartment building live in cramped quarters on the sixth floor. The maids are from Spain. Their living conditions are horrendous and squalid. .They work hard for their rich patrons and get little for it.
Germaine, the long standing maid leaves and the household goes into chaos. When Monsieur Joubert complains that he has no clean shirts his wife states,”Wear a sweater.”
Marie arrives in town and begins to work for Madam and Monsieur Joubert. She demands more money. She ingratiates herself with the haughty wife. She does a magnificent job in keeping the apartment spotless and serving Monsieur Joubert the perfect soft boiled egg.
Monsieur Joubert goes to the sixth floor and is appalled. He calls in a plumber. He helps the women.
When Madame Joubert accuses her husband of having an affair he goes to live on the sixth floor with all the women. It is hilarious. They teach him to sing and dance. He helps them out by paying for things they need. He shares his expensive wine and both the maids and Monsieur Joubert have a great time.
The women are such characters. There is humor and yet pathos for the way they live. Monsieur Joubert becomes a caring loving person respected by the maids. Too bad that Madame Joubert finds out too late that she a good caring husband.
The actors perform well the story is entertaining. I didn’t want it to end.