Product: 8 Women (2002)
Rating: 1.0
As bad as Moulin Rouge
As a non-traditional student (having taught French for over 20 years before returning to graduate work)pursuing a doctorate in French, I`ve seen a lot of fine French films. 8 Femmes isn`t one of them. For a charming musical, for example, see Sous les toits de Paris directed by Rene Clair in the early 1930`s. The forgettable songs in 8 Femmes are stiffly rendered by actresses who can`t sing and can`t dance. The drama of the murder plot is oddly juxtaposed against giddy females singing about, well, who knows what? The songs are not organic to the movie, just added on at odd intervals so each of the eight ladies gets a chance to demonstrate her non-talent. Where is Ginger Rogers when you need her? And you need a score card to keep track of all the ladies who are in reality lesbians. The scene with Fanny Ardant on top of Catherine Deneuve was, well, beyond words. Kindly run, do not walk, to the nearest exit.