Potiche

François Ozon made his reputation in the late ’90s and early ’00s as one of the most gifted, eclectic, prolific stylists of his French filmmaking generation, but over the past few years, he’s seemed more interested in the ‘prolific’ part of his rep. Potiche (loosely translated as ‘trophy wife’) returns Ozon to the colourful, energetic retro-homage of his musical 8 Women, and it’s his most purely enjoyable movie in nearly a decade.

Set in 1977 – which gives Ozon license to evoke the era through music, fashion, decor, and a kind of sitcom breeziness – Potiche stars Catherine Deneuve as the upbeat wife of uptight factory owner Fabrice Luchini. When Luchini has a heart attack during a labour dispute, Deneuve takes over and improves the workers’ lot and sales of the company’s umbrellas, all while renewing an acquaintance with an old lover, the town’s leftist deputy mayor, Gérard Depardieu.

Funny, twisty, and sometimes bittersweet, Potiche is a fluffy good time, but not entirely insubstantial. Ozon (along with Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Grédy, who wrote the play) has a lot of fun with the dubious paternity of various characters in the movie, in part because Potiche is essentially French farce, and in part because the movie is trying to say that people of different classes and backgrounds should be nicer to each other, because we’re all brothers – literally, in some cases. And though the ‘sisters are doing it for themselves’ theme is hardly novel, the period setting gives it a raison d’être, as does the presence of former Umbrellas Of Cherbourg ingénue Deneuve, playing a woman who knows a little about what makes a good parapluie.

If nothing else, it’s a treat to see French cinema legends Deneuve and Depardieu in a movie that uses their iconic status so slyly, making reference to their characters’ wilder pasts, and showing they still have some juice left. More than that, though, it’s a treat to see Ozon so on-point. Potiche has a spark that’s been missing from even some of Ozon’s more florid recent films. It isn’t a comeback per se, but a case of a director in full command of his craft, turning out a more attractive product than he has been of late.

– Noel Murray, The A.V. Club

De Sacha Guitry à Francis Veber en passant par la bande du Café de la Gare, les pièces de théâtre passées au cinéma ne manquent pas. Mais le succès n’est pas garanti et il faut savoir utiliser les bons outils. Ce que fait avec dextérité François Ozon dans l’adaptation d’un classique du boulevard. Il sait jouer avec les codes du genre – le rire au premier degré – pour mieux les transgresser et instiller dans cette France un peu figée des années 1970 quelques clins d’œil contemporains.

Sa Potiche est une réussite et permet à Catherine Deneuve de jouer sur tous les registres, entre fausse candeur et vraie ambition. On la découvre bourgeoise soumise, puis chef d’entreprise émancipée chantant Ferrat. Ou ex-maîtresse coquine d’un député communiste jouisseur, joué par un Depardieu en grande forme, qu’elle retrouve trente ans après Le Dernier Métro. Mentions spéciales à Fabrice Luchini, parfait en mari et patron macho, à Karine Viard, dévouée secrétaire qui tourne syndicaliste, et à Jérémie Renier, fils de famille au bord du coming out. Une réjouissante fantaisie boulevardière.

– Jean-Luc Wachthausen, Figaroscope