Product: 8 Women (2002)
Rating: 4.0
A brilliant whodunit
Those who liked Gosford Park and The Sleuth will certainly like this flick. This movie is an interesting whodunit and styled on a stage play more than a movie and with absolutely no nudity. Must say, this is very rare for a French film.The entire movie setting is in one house, belonging to Marcel. Marcel lives with his wife, Gaby, his two daughters (Catherine and Suzan), his invalid mother-in-law (Mamy) and his sister-in-law (Augustine). The staff comprises two maids - Chanel (an amazon woman, much like Mammy in Gone With The Wind) and Louise (a good looking young woman). Thus, there are 7 women living in the house. The 8th woman is Marcel's sister, Pierrette, who lives in the neighbourhood and whom no one in the family likes; appears she is promiscuous.The movie begins with Marcel being found in his bed with a knife stuck in his back. The phone lines are dead, the gates of the mansion are closed and it's snowing terribly. Hence, all the 7 women are trapped in the house and are not able to get out even to call the police. Because the dogs did not bark all night and even in the morning, the 7 women come to the conclusion that one of them is the killer. What ensues are conversations amongst these women that tell their secrets - and each of them have some (not just one!). Of course, someone (a woman) had also telephoned Pierrette to tell her that her brother has been murdered; she drops by (with a lift from a baker) to ask if this was true. Thus, all 8 women gather in the same house, each suspecting each other of murder and all working towards proving it.The plot thickens when secrets are slowly revealed; there are a lot of secrets that cross the paths of these women as well and have nothing to do with Marcel, per se.The end is twisted and well made. I was impressed by the fact that it actually had a logical conclusion. Of course, I am going to keep the suspense going and not reveal the end in the hope that you all watch the movie!Although the story is a bit complicate in terms of its inter-linkages, it is precisely this that makes it very interesting. The characters do break into songs periodically (5% of the show time), but that is only a way of introducing a perspective of that particular character. The musical style has been used tastefully and does not come across has jarring to the viewer. All-in-all, a really good whodunit - you will not be disappointed.