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8 WOMEN Send This Review to a Friend
A hit at the Toronto International Film Festival, the very French "8 Women" is a film buff's delight. The format is a spoof on whodunits, but the absolute pleasure comes from performances by a bevy of wonderful actresses who get to strut their stuff, including by breaking into songs that go to the heart of their respective characters. It’s a delightful showcase.
Writer-director François Ozon spotlights his women with panache. The plot is merely a device as we meet this odd family in the sort of an old house that is a staple for mysteries, in this case a furor touched off when screams announce the murder of Marcel, the father.
Check this cast.
The venerable Danielle Darrieux plays Mamy, the grandmother. Catherine Deneuve is Gaby, Marcel's elegant wife. Isabelle Huppert is Gaby's uptight, old maid of a sister who is perpetually bitchy and complaining. Virginie Ledoyan plays Gaby's older daughter and Ludivine Sagnier her younger one. Fanny Ardant is Pierrette, Marcel's sister. Emmanuelle Béart is Louise, the feisty chambermaid. Firmine Richard portrays Madame Chanel, the long-time housekeeper who knows plenty.
As you might expect, all is not what it seems to be on the surface in this dysfunctional household, and much of the fun lies in the revelations of the intrigues that have been simmering all along. But the main attractions--all eight of them--are the dazzling ladies who can light up any room or film. A Focus Features release.
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