Synopsis#1: In a country house, the master has been murdered. He has left the eight residents, all women, stranded in the winter landscape with only themselves as suspects and as detectives. As each tries to solve the mystery, while perhaps hiding their own guilt, we are offered a head spinning number of motives, alibis and versions of events.
Synopsis#2: In a country house, the master has been murdered. He has left the eight residents, all women, stranded in the winter landscape to celebrate their freedom from the man who they have all been economically and emotionally tied to. They do this by bursting into song. Each woman explores her old role within this micro-society by reinterpreting a 20th century piece of French musical culture or pop. After they have unburdened their pasts, they struggle for a new position in the pecking order through catfights, makeovers and revealing hidden sexuality.
Synopsis#3: In a country house, the master has been murdered. He has left the eight residents, all women, stranded in the winter landscape. Luckily they are (at least six of them, anyway) iconic actresses from the last fifty years of French cinema. Arnaud de Moleron creates a fabulous set design to cage François Ozon's eight new dolls. Pascaline Chavanne's use of primary colours, leopard print furs and pastel baby pinks creates some gaudy but stunning costumes to keep his toys' bodies under wraps. Everything in Ozon's oversized play set is immaculately designed and presented. This is a perfumery of kitsch for the eyes.
Could I continue with another five synopses? Not really, but hopefully the above triumvirate of introductions gives some indication of the multi-dimensions one can consider when approaching Ozon's inventive new film. It should also suggest that despite these various dimensions none of them carry any considerable depth. Which is exactly the point of the exercise. It may be a who-dunnit in the style of Agatha Christie, yet so much occurs within each conversation that one is never sure of what is fact and what is fib and after the first reel, you have stopped trying to keep up with the alleged nefarious shenanigans of our potential femme fatales. Suffice to say, that within the constantly spun web of half-truths the ending is enough of a surprise to be satisfying. The choice of musical numbers is inspired but (with exception of Papa t'es plus dans le coup bopped along to with gusto by Ludivine Sagnier) their torch song nature tends to slow things down. Perhaps considering the wealth of information, and undeniable attention to fabric and palette in every button and doorknob, this is a blessing.
For the true intention of 8 Femmes is revealed in the opening moments. Like the Mapplethorpe-esque credit sequence suggests, each of the women present is a pretty flower to Ozon. They need to be captured on film to preserve their aesthetic perfection from the harsh winter outside. The thick layer of snow that covers the unused car implies that even the sturdiest elements of this pantomime need to be sugar coated. 8 Femmes is all about covering the reality with a teeth-rotting beautification. Within the post-Dogme world, France's film-makers seem obsessed with all things grimy and shocking, so a bit of superficiality has proven to be popular both over there, and around the world. The musical is being resurrected and it is just as knowingly apolitical and anti-intellectual as the fine technical achievements of Hollywood's genre output in the fifties and sixties.
Bob Carroll
1. 8 Femmes 8 Fleurs
2. Papa T' Es Plus Dans L' Coup
3. Message Personnel
4. Quoi Sert De Vivre Libre
5. Mon Amour Mom Ami
6. Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul
7. Pile Ou Face
8. Toi Jamais
9. II N' Y A Pas D' Amour Heureux
10. Theme 8 Femmes ( Generique De Fin )
11. Fenetre
12. Confession De Suzon
13. Augustine S' Evanouit
14. Pierrette Seule
15. Augustine Seule
16. Portrait De Gaby
17. Envie D' Etre Belle
18. Complicite Feminine
19. Le Baiser
20. Machination
21. Fin
8 femmes
