Product: 8 Women (2002)
Rating: 2.0
Tuneless "Musical"
I'm admittedly not a fan of Francois Ozon. Having seen several of his films, I haven't been a devotee of his violent and overly sexual stories a la Criminal Lovers. This film seemed like an advancement for him, so I rented it. 8 Women looks great and is a change of pace, but the film cannot overcome its stage roots and most of the songs are forgettable and too weakly sung to be truly enjoyable. The sets grow claustrophobic after a while, and despite the top notch acting, the story gets stale. At one point, I glanced over at my clock and saw that I still had an hour left in this story. Not a good sign when a go-nowhere plot still has 60 minutes left. Most disappointingly, the biggest revelation in the film is thrown away in one line, with no reaction shots added or consequences. And what is the ultimate message? Women are a bunch of dithery, selfish harpies that can drive their men to desperate measures? Sorry, despite it's pre-feminist 1950's setting, this is still annoying. The actors and the colors are a real treat though and the opening credits call to mind the glossy Hollywood movies of the past.