Potiche

Based on the play by Pierre Barillett and Jean-Pierre Gredy, Potiche is the story about a trophy wife who takes over her husband’s umbrella factory following a worker’s strike as she hopes to improve things for everyone despite her family’s misgivings. Written for the screen and directed by Francois Ozon, the film explores a woman trying to find meaning in her life as she feels underestimated by her own family. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Jeremie Renier, Karin Viard, Evelyne Dandry, and Judith Godreche. Potiche is a stylish and light-hearted comedy from Francois Ozon.

In the 1970s where women are striving for equality in their roles, the film is about a trophy wife whose husband is a tyrannical boss of an umbrella factory where a worker‘s strike forces the wife to take over and change things. With the help of an old lover, she becomes a figure of hope for her small community as well as giving voice to the women around her world much to the chagrin of her husband who is striving to regain his role. It’s a film that plays into a world where a woman who enjoys being a caretaker of sorts until she is asked by a local mayor/former lover to handle a strike that could destroy the town. While her family and her husband don’t think she could handle all of that responsibility, she decides to disprove that in order to reveal why she should never be underestimated.

Francois Ozon’s screenplay definitely plays into the role of women in a crucial period in time where they’re demanding to have the same kind of equality in men. While Suzanne Pujol (Catherine Deneuve) seems to enjoy the role of being a trophy housewife, she is unable to deal with lack of her respect her husband Robert (Fabrice Luchini) treats her while her adult children in Joelle (Judith Godreche) and Laurent (Jeremie Renier) dismiss her opinions. When she is asked by the town’s mayor Maurice Babin (Gerard Depardieu) who is also a union leader, she does so as she improves things where Joelle and Laurent help her as does Robert’s secretary Nadge (Karin Viard) who decides to break off her affair with Robert. While there is a bit of a subplot involving Suzanne and Maurice’s old relationship as the latter still carries a torch for her, it does play into Suzanne’s growth as a character. Even in the third act where her husband’s return to the factory would have her do something that would define her more as a powerful woman.

Ozon’s direction definitely plays to a certain style that recalls some of the films of the 1970s where he aims for something that is very light-hearted and humorous. Notably in the comedy as it’s more subtle than slapstick as well as using flashbacks to express the youth that Suzanne has as well as the mystery about whether Laurent is really Robert’s son. There are also moments where Ozon just keep things simple in the compositions as well as some montages that play up the development of Suzanne’s life. There are also moments where Ozon uses TV stock footage to play up the sense of the times as it would upset Robert as he strives to regain some control. While it’s third act is a bit more dramatic in terms of what Robert does to regain his control, it does pick up the mood when Suzanne makes a decision that will show her growth as a woman. Overall, Ozon creates a very fascinating and delightful film about a woman’s desire for respect.

Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does great work with the film‘s very stylish and colorful cinematography from the lush look of the film‘s daytime exteriors to the lighting in some of the film‘s interiors including the nightclub Suzanne and Maurice attend. Editor Laure Gardette does excellent work with the editing with the use of split-screens and montages along with rhythmic flairs to play up some of the humor and drama. Production designer Katia Wyszkop does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the umbrella factory’s interiors to the Pujol home and the design of the umbrellas.

Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does fantastic work with the costumes as it all plays to a particular sense of style of the times including the dresses that Suzanne wears. The sound work of Benoit Gargonne, Jean-Paul Hurier, and Pascal Jasmes is wonderful for the atmosphere that is created in the house and clubs along with some of the scenes at the town. The film’s music by Philippe Rombi is brilliant for its playful yet serene orchestral music that captures the sense of romance as well as some of its humor. The soundtrack consists largely of French disco music including the Bee Gees and a song sung by Catherine Deneuve.

The casting by Sarah Teper and Michael De Nijs is superb for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Evelyne Dandry as Suzanne’s sister, French pop singer Elodie Frege as the young Suzanne in the flashback scenes, and Sergi Lopez as a Spanish truck driver Suzanne gets a ride from late in the film. Karin Viard is wonderful as the secretary Nadge as she starts off as Robert’s mistress to a woman who takes control of her role as she becomes an ally of Suzanne. Judith Godreche is terrific as Joelle as a woman who is unsure about her mother taking over the business as she becomes conflicted over her loyalties. Jeremie Renier is excellent as Laurent as the son who also feels unappreciated by his father as he joins his mother where he helps give ideas into helping the business.

Fabrice Luchini is great as the very cruel and conniving Robert Pujol as a man who has little respect for people including his worker and his family as he struggles to regain control through schemes. Gerard Depardieu is marvelous as Maurice Babin as a union leader and local political figure who helps out Suzanne to stop the strikes while dealing with his own feelings towards her. Finally, there’s Catherine Deneuve in a delightful performance as Suzanne Pujol as a woman who feels unappreciated and underestimated by those around her as she is eager to prove herself that she isn’t some trophy housewife. Deneuve also displays some subtle moments of humor to showcase her very lively personality as it’s definitely one of best performances of her remarkable career.

Potiche is an extraordinary and splendid comedy from Francois Ozon led by the brilliant performance of Catherine Deneuve. Along with a wonderfully stylish look and a terrific supporting cast led by Gerard Depardieu. It’s a film that is very playful and witty while creating heartfelt message about the empowerment of women. In the end, Potiche is a marvelous film from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom -Criminal Lovers -Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - 8 Women - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - The Refuge - In the House - Jeune & Jolie - (The New Girlfriend) - (Frantz (2016 film)) - (Double Lover) - (By the Grace of God) - Summer of 85 - (Everything Went Fine) - (Peter von Kant) - The Auteurs #33: Francois Ozon

© thevoid99 2013

Sitcom

Written and directed by Francois Ozon, Sitcom is the story about a once-revered family who starts to free-fall into a state of decadence following the purchase of a small white rat. The film is a satire into the world of families with references to American sitcoms as well as adding an element of surrealism to the film. Starring Evelyne Dandry, Francois Marthouret, Marina de Van, Adrien de Van, and Stephane Rideau. Sitcom is a wild and zany black comedy from Francois Ozon.

Change is something that can threaten the livelihood of a family, especially one that is rich and live the life of a family that is quite normal. The premise of this film is about a man named Jean (Francois Marthouret) who brings home a lab rat as a gift for his family much to the chagrin of his wife Helen (Evelyne Dandry) who is afraid of rats. Immediately, things start to happen as members of the families behave in a strange manner while it would also affect the lives of those close to the family. Things progress into something much stranger where Jean is oblivious to what is happening until he has an encounter with the lab rat he had given his family.

Francois Ozon’s screenplay is a bit of a satire of sorts in which a family’s life comes undone by this new arrival where the nerdy son Nicolas (Adrien de Van) becomes an extroverted gay man while the very upbeat daughter Sophie (Marina de Van) becomes obsessed with death and sadomasochism following a suicide attempt. Though the film starts out at the end where something gruesome happens, the film then goes back to see what led to this event where everything went wrong as it relates to this little lab rat. Due to the encounters with this little lab rat, members of this very normal rich family descend into a world of decadence where all sorts of things happening that just pushes the limits of what is decent in the world. Still, Ozon finds ways to create something that doesn’t play to convention as well as some twist and turns to unveil things that play into the changes of this family.

Ozon’s direction is quite stylish in not just some of the compositions he creates but also the way he plays out some of the idea of a family coming undone. A lot of it is presented with this mix of black comedy where a lot of things are off and zany. At the same time, there’s an absurdity to the comedy where it involves family members doing strange things including orgies and sadomasochist games. Ozon isn’t afraid to even do things that can be very disgusting but let it play out naturally as if there aren’t any rules as far as bad taste is concerned. Overall, Ozon creates a very off-the-wall yet entertaining film about the decline of a normal family.

Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from some of the look of the interiors in the house the characters live in to the some of the lighting schemes set at night along with a beautiful shot of the family in a swimming pool. Editor Dominique Petrot does nice work with the editing as it plays to an element of style that captures the energy of the humor as well as the intensity of some of the drama. Production designer Angelique Puron does wonderful work with the look of the house the characters live in that includes the beach painting wall in Nicolas’ room and the strange pictures that Sophie has in her room. Costume designer Herve Poeydemenge does terrific work with the costumes to play up the development of the characters as some of them become more outlandish as the film progresses.

Sound editor Benoit Hillebrant does superb work with the sound to capture some of chilling moments of the film as well as some wilder moments in the humorous scenes. The film’s music by Eric Neveux is quite good for some of the darker moments that is played out in the film such as the characters’ encounter with the rat while the rest of the music consists largely of classical pieces by Gustav Mahler, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Frederic Chopin as well as a dance-pop song in Corona’s The Rhythm of the Night.

The film’s cast is brilliant as it features some notable small performances from Jean Douchet as a family shrink, Jule-Emmanuel Eyoum Deido as the maid’s husband Abdu whose encounter with rat has him do strange things, Lucia Sanchez as the family maid Maria who becomes more outlandish with her hairdos, and Stephane Rideau as Sophie’s boyfriend David who becomes saddened by Sophie’s dark attitude. Adrien de Van and Marina de Van are terrific in their respective roles as siblings Nicolas and Sophie as they go into many changes with Adrien becoming more out while Marina is more dramatic. Francois Marthouret is excellent as Jean as a man who is oblivious to the changes until he’s confronted by his family about doing into therapy where he would have his own encounter with the rat. Finally, there’s Evelyne Dandry in a wonderful performance as Helen as a woman who is shocked by these changes only for her encounter with the rat to make a big change in her own behavior.

Sitcom is a strange yet off-the-wall black comedy from Francois Ozon. Featuring a great cast as well as very provocative themes about the idea of family, it is a film that definitely pushes the ideas of what is considered to be bad taste. Even as it is one of Ozon’s most outlandish films during an early period of his career in the late 90s. In the end, Sitcom is a fucked-up yet enjoyable film from Francois Ozon.

Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - 8 Women - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - The Refuge - Potiche - In the House - Jeune & Jolie - (The New Girlfriend) - (Frantz (2016 film)) - (Double Lover) - (By the Grace of God) - Summer of 85 - (Everything Went Fine) - (Peter von Kant) - The Auteurs #33: Francois Ozon

© thevoid99 2013