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Too much of everything

Sadly Over-hyped

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Suzanne Pujol, like some women in her social position, was instrumental in starting the careers of the men they marry. That is, if the husband does not come from money, the thankful father-in-law made anything possible for the man who marry his princess to do well in life, even directing and managing the family business after his retirement, and giving him a taste of life of comfort he never knew.This is basically the premise of Francois Ozon's "Potiche" which we caught in DVD format recently. It is based on a theater piece, probably one of those light comedies that are much loved by the French. The transfer to the screen is done with a look to the past, as only Mr. Ozon could have pulled and yet he opened the play in ways that show his intelligence toward the original material written for the stage by Pierre Barrillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy.Mr. Ozon brings two of the most iconic stars of France to appear together in "Potiche". Catherine Deneuve is the embodiment of a star, if ever there was one. Gerard Depardieu is also seen as the man who once had a torrid affair with Suzanne. Fabrice Luchini is Robert Pujol, the lucky man that married a trophy wife. The sublime Karin Viard is wonderful as Nadege, Robert's long suffering secretary with whom he has been having a long affair. Jeremie Renier and Judith Godreche complete the Pujol family.It is clear the message of "Potiche" is a feminist one. Suzanne, who led a somewhat serene life must act quickly if she wants to save her father's business from everything her husband Robert could not do himself. In the process she clearly shows a talent for business as well as politics. The best scene in the film shows Ms. Deneuve and Mr. Depardieu in a night club dancing something out of the disco era.

What a waste of a great cast. Well, "great" certainly describes Gerard Depardieu, who has "grown" as an actor -- from hulking menace to parade float. Depardieu's appearance is the funniest thing about this lame paean to women's lib. The film's fleeting moments of humor and barbed dialogue led me to watch the whole thing, in the vain hope that it would amount to something. (Thus my "2" rating; I reserve "1" for films that are so bad, so early, that I can't finish them.) As for Catherine Deneuve, the best that one can say about her performance is that she looks only as old as her character, a woman of about 50, even though she was 66 when the film was shot. Anyway, when it was time for a dramatic or funny climax, building on some aspect of the film's almost non-existent plot, Deneuve puts an end to the misery by singing (badly) a feminist anthem that celebrates the "soft" qualities that women bring to politics -- or some such tripe.

"Your job is to share my opinion." Robert Pujol (Fabrice Luchini) to his wife.As you can tell from the trailers and the above quote, Suzanne Pujol (Catherine Deneuve) will not remain a potiche (Trophy wife) for long in Potiche, a fluffy satire of the late '70's fascination with the feminist movement. It's a lightweight look at the emergence of a woman to run the family business in a style that melds conservative and liberal values in the form of negotiations with unions and meaningful dialogue.The soft touch of director Francois Ozon is evident in almost every frame, from Suzanne's modest but flattering outfits to her soothing charm that binds friends and family in a humanity coming partly from her considerable beauty, even as a middle-aged woman, and partly from a script that leans to the left with good cheer.Along the way writers Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy (both successful with Just Go with It) guarantee Suzanne will triumph in the factory and a coda that looks ahead to Hillary Clinton. Although none of the dialogue is memorable and some of the setups sophomoric, the film retains its respect for her and the mission of feminism. The sweetness of it all is that despite her philandering husband, Suzanne has a checkered past as well, making for a balanced battle of the sexes.

François Ozon's "Potiche" combines the labor movement with women's lib. It stars Catherine Deneuve as housewife Suzanne, whose husband Robert (Fabrice Luchini) owns an umbrella factory in 1977 France. When the workers go on strike and take Robert hostage, Suzanne has to negotiate with communist leader Maurice Babin (Gérard Depardieu) for his release...which leads to her taking leadership of the company! Along with this, the movie shows other things. Both of Suzanne and Robert's children have ended up on opposite ends of the political spectrum, while Suzanne and Maurice have a history of their own, and Robert has no qualms about the prospect of outsourcing the jobs to Tunisia, where he can pay cheaper wages. There's even a song early in the movie with a surprising lyric at the end! But overall, even though "Potiche" is not the best movie ever made, it's still a good look at the changing mores in the late '70s, with input from all sides. Definitely one that I enjoyed (and that I recommend).Also starring Karin Viard, Judith Godrèche and Jérémie Renier.