UK Premier
François Ozon/France 2010/103 minutes
GFF Opening Gala @ GFT, Thurs 17th Feb 2011, 19:30/20:30
Potiche, François Ozon’s film adaptation of Pierre Barrilet and Jean-Pierre Grédy’s play, is a curious, not entirely successful blend of high-farce, female empowerment and labour politics in 1977. Taking its title from the French slang for ‘trophy wife’, the piece unfortunately calls to mind the alternative translation: vase. It’s ornate, pretty and diverting, but essentially an empty vessel.
Ignored, put-upon Suzanne (Catherine Deneuve) and her household are thrown into turmoil by an uprising at a family umbrella factory, during which hubby Robert (Fabrice Luchini) is taken hostage by an irate, exploited workforce. To secure his safe release, Suzanne turns to communist mayor and former lover Babin (Gerard Depardieu) to strike an accord with the factory floor. Ozon sets his stylistic stall out in these early scenes; reminiscent of a 70s sitcom, the frantic pace, close-in framing, iris wipes and jaunty score lend the piece a nostalgic, playful authenticity.
The great success of Ozon’s film is the work of his cast: Deneuve’s casual indifference to all that occurs, taking each new development in her stride and manipulating the men around her with charm and empty platitudes is hefty anchor, while Luchini is delightfully manic and sleezy as the usurped patriarch. With his body now seemingly entirely made of cheese, Depardieu continues to confound all accepted notions of sex-appeal and charisma with significantly greater nimbleness than he now moves about screen. A joy in every scene he manages to lumber into. However, the incendiary themes of 70s gender politics and workers’ rights are left tragically underdeveloped, appearing to serve only as a backdrop for a great deal of silliness… and the script is simply not funny enough to fully succeed on that level alone.