Filed under: Published film reviews | Tags: Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Beart, Francois Ozon, French mystery, Isabelle Huppert
1950’s France, in an isolated mansion in the countryside, a family gathers for the holidays. But what should be a glamorous social affair becomes a murder mystery when the beloved patriarch is discovered dead. It can only be one of eight females closest to him, but which one? The household is turned upside down and rivalries are exacerbated as the women begin to reveal unexpected intentions — sexual, murderous, dishonest, and perverse – through musical interludes.
Not generally inclined to musicals, I found watching each of these stars sing her particular story in her unique way is surprisingly delightful. While it’s arguable that the characters are stereotypical – the matriarch, the spinster, the femme fatale, and the sexy chambermaid – as the plot thickens, the veneer cracks and we see into the psyche of the female species. In this instance, played by a few of the greatest French film actresses of all time, such as Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert.
Directed by Francois Ozon, the film is shot like a sumptuous, 1950’s Technicolor melodrama, and aesthetically it’s gorgeous. This is a light-hearted and droll film.
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Victoria Jelinek 
This “free sharing” of ionfrmaiton seems too good to be true. Like communism.
Comment by Cash January 27, 2012 @ 3:19 pmThank you for taking the time to make a comment, but I’m not sure what you mean – will you explain?
Comment by victoriakjelinek January 29, 2012 @ 9:34 am