jwilhelm
10-14-2002, 03:12 AM
The most successful and entertaining part in this boulevard-story is the way Ozon plays his stars. Incarnating sharply pointed characters, they appear as if you would plug their public image in a socket: Deneuve is "belle et riche" and mondaine up to an ironic level, just as Huppert has an even more bitchy part here than she often has anyway (not meaning that she has played other parts, too). Caricatures, of which you don't know how serious anyone takes them – including some French magazines and the (French) public; once you read some local newsgroups you find out.
The story was a popular play in the 60ies, though without the bisexuality that Ozon added, maybe because times have changed and it would otherwise be perceived too dull today, or because, as he said, one inspiration for making the film was to create something similar to Fassbinder's "Petra von Kant".
It's the lesser known actresses that show us the more human side in those characters. Probably because there's not that much of an image already putting weight on their performance. But the rest of the all-women crew simply `shows their usual stuff'. It doesn't matter. The movie doesn't take that route anyway.
Overall, 8 femmes is spicy, entertaining fun with some great, bold humor and is, undeniably, a feast for those who love the French.
The story was a popular play in the 60ies, though without the bisexuality that Ozon added, maybe because times have changed and it would otherwise be perceived too dull today, or because, as he said, one inspiration for making the film was to create something similar to Fassbinder's "Petra von Kant".
It's the lesser known actresses that show us the more human side in those characters. Probably because there's not that much of an image already putting weight on their performance. But the rest of the all-women crew simply `shows their usual stuff'. It doesn't matter. The movie doesn't take that route anyway.
Overall, 8 femmes is spicy, entertaining fun with some great, bold humor and is, undeniably, a feast for those who love the French.