8 Women (2002) User Reviews

8 stars for 8 Women

[marissas75 · 8/10 · 3 November 2007]

In the simply uncategorizable French movie "8 Women," successful businessman Marcel is found stabbed to death in his bed. Whodunit? Was it his wife (Catherine Deneuve) or his estranged sister (Fanny Ardant)? Or his mother-in-law (Danielle Darrieux) or his sister-in-law (Isabelle Huppert)? Or one of his daughters (Virginie Ledoyen, Ludivine Sagnier)? Or his longtime cook (Firmine Richard) or his new housemaid (Emmanuelle Béart)?

The movie, however, is less concerned with the murderess's identity than with giving these 8 actresses the chance to show off, in a series of campy, funny, melodramatic scenes. To that effect, there are countless catty remarks and catfights. The revealing of progressively more outrageous family secrets. Lesbianism, twisted love triangles, chic couture wardrobes, transformations from ugly duckling to swan. And, last but not least, musical numbers. The action stops for each woman to dance and sing (usually in a breathy untrained voice) a pop song that reveals her character's emotional state. It's a bizarre mix, but you'll find yourself laughing through your incredulity.

Faced with eight such talented actresses it feels rude to single out individual performers, but Huppert's portrayal of the embittered spinster Augustine steals the movie. Every one of her line readings is distinctive and hilarious, making this abrasive, histrionic character an absolute delight to watch. Almost as good is Ardant, playing a surprisingly likable free-spirited bad girl; because her character has no shame, she's at least honest when all the other women tell lies.

The lesser-known Firmine Richard gets one of the best musical numbers with "Pour ne pas vivre seul" ("So as not to live alone"), and Sagnier, who was in her early twenties when she filmed the movie, very convincingly plays a bratty 16-year-old.

All of the actresses' roles allow them to satirize their own or others' personas: Béart sends up the "seductive French maid" stereotype; Ledoyen is costumed to look like Audrey Hepburn but her character is no girlish innocent; Deneuve plays a variation on her customary chilly, glamorous bourgeois matron. Meanwhile, grande dame Darrieux cuts loose in the role of a meddling, lying grandma.

"8 Women" is thus more than just a comedy-mystery-musical: it's a witty postmodern comment on movie genres, movie stars, and three generations of French divas. It has a healthy sense of its own absurdity (indeed, how can anyone take this Agatha-Christie-type mystery seriously anymore?) yet all of the actresses are fully committed to telling this ridiculous story. Certainly one of the strangest films I've ever seen, it also--unlike so many serious and earnest modern movies--reminds me of why I love the Technicolor screen and its great actresses in the first place.

A Playful Romp with Great Actresses

[wglenn · 8/10 · 31 May 2005]

8 Femmes is a playful mystery/musical/dark comedy that hearkens back to Jacques Demy's Parapluies de Cherbourg, which also starred Catherine Deneuve, and Demoiselles de Rochefort, in which Danielle Darrieux and Deneuve played mother and daughter. The story stars off as a classic tale of murder in a closed room of an isolated mansion, and all of the eight women become suspects. As the various clues and revealed secrets begin to pile up and become more and more absurd, however, it becomes clear that the mystery is secondary to exploring the various kinds of relationships that exist between these women and the way they have all been affected by their relationships (or lack of relationships) with men, especially the man who has been killed.

The mystery is also secondary to having a good time, which everyone seems to be doing. One of the main strengths of the movie is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. The director and all of the actresses seem to be enjoying themselves so much that a sense of fun radiates throughout the film. Ozon uses laughter and black humor, however, to investigates the pain, rivalry and joy that arise between mothers and daughters, pairs of sisters, sisters-in-law, women servants and their mistresses, and women in love with other women. It's a grand buffet of fine acting and difficult to pick out the best of the bunch - all eight women are wonderful - but Isabelle Huppert steals a number of scenes (hard to do in that company) with the most over the top and unexpected performance. Each woman has great moments, however, sometimes of tenderness, sometimes of hilarious bitchiness, and once in a while, of sudden and intense emotional revelation. The songs that each one sings give a bit of insight to their characters and add to the overall fun of the film, but they also present dramatic challenges to the actresses, and all of them do well in making these musical numbers work.

It's great to see Darrieux again, and she does an excellent job as the matriarch of the clan who seems to be a frail and loving old grandmother at first but then pulls one surprise after another. The funniest bit in the film, a wicked moment of black comedy, involves an argument between her and daughter Gaby (Deneuve) that ends in shocking and unladylike violence. The song chosen for Darrieux to sing at the end, a haunting and poignant piece written by French poet Louis Aragon and the great singer-songwriter Geogre Brassens, pulls the film together emotionally in an unexpected way.

People expecting a straight mystery film may be disappointed in and confused by the film, and the American distributors haven't helped matters any by failing to mention on the back of the video box that 8 Femmes is a musical and a dark comedy as well. But for those viewers who have an open mind and are in the mood for a playful mystery with several great actresses, they should be greatly rewarded.

well worth seeing just for its "strangeness" factor

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 19 April 2006]

While this isn't a great film, and at times it was just too "talky", I strongly admire the attempt by those involved to make something different. The movie is an odd blend of several types of films and the end result certainly is odd. Imagine taking an episode of MURDER SHE WROTE or an Agatha Christie novel as your basic plot. Then, combine it with the movie THE WOMEN--add a little sexual farce--then throw in a few really silly song and dance numbers and you get this movie! The songs are generally, very silly and in some cases sung by women who have no right singing on film--and that, to me, makes them even entertaining by their downright cheesiness.

The 8 Women happen to consist of the household where the only man, Marcel, is found dead. Which one of these women is responsible is unknown and from then on, the movie slowly unravels its many bizarre plot devices--bisexuality, incest, adultery,...you name it. While the film is in no way explicit, they certainly talk about a lot of vices so this isn't the best film for the kiddies! Interestingly enough, the producers for this French film must have "broken the bank" to secure the talents of so many famous and high-salary actresses. While only Catherine Deneuve will be known to the average American, several other cast members are among the top box office draws in France and includes Isabelle Huppert (who is, without a doubt, the funniest and best character among the 8), Emmanuelle Béart, Fanny Ardant and Danielle Darrieux (as the second funniest character). The other actresses, while less famous, equip themselves well in the movie.

Despite some lulls and a completely unbelievable plot, the movie keeps you guessing and is well worth finding. Certainly far from perfect, but fun nevertheless.

8 reasons why you should love French films

[beruska84 · 20 December 2002]

I don´t want to write about a plot, because I guess: 1. most of the people, who will read this, have already seen it 2. this film really isn´t about a plot. This film is about style and 8 great French actresses - each of them is one good reason, why you should see this film. The best way how to "use" this film is just to sit and enjoy it. You don´t need to think (but this doesn´t mean that there is nothing to think about), you can only watch - luxurious interiors,great looking dresses and haircuts... and you can smile - sometimes, when I read other reviews, I have a feeling, the writer have seen a different film -THIS IS NOT A DRAMA, IT´S A COMEDY (very absurd)!!! It has a style of hollywood musicals from golden era of 30´s and 40´s, but in the same time it´s not american, it´s still very French film, with the specifiec antmospehere, which French films usually have. And my last word: more french film to czech cinemas!!!

A French musical mystery

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 8 June 2015]

Francois Ozon directed this interesting and occasionally lighthearted film, "8 Women." It stars Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Béart, Fanny Ardant, Ludivine Sagnier, Virginie Ledoyen, and Firmine Richard.

The film takes place during a winter in 1950s France where a family congregates for the holidays. Unfortunately, Gaby's (Deneuve) husband is found dead with a knife in his back. Kind of killed the holiday spirit.

Since the dogs didn't bark, it must have been someone known to the family. They can't go to the police; the phone line was cut and they are snowed in.

As they try to figure out the identity of the murderer, we learn that each woman has a secret, which is revealed during the film. They all had motives.

Could it have been Augustin, the dead man's sister-in-law, who lives with the family? How about his beautiful wife? His mother-in-law who is confined to a wheelchair? The chambermaid who, when she lets her hair down, is even more stunning? Or perhaps the housekeeper, loyal but hiding a powerful love? One of his two daughters? His own sister, who runs a brothel? The women discuss who inherits, and multiple motives for murder, and little by little, rivalries, tears, passions, infidelities, and musical numbers emerge.

Ozon has given us a look into the female psyche, and he has employed some of France's great actresses to do it. The colors are bright, the women and clothing gorgeous.

As someone pointed out, the French do not fear casting older women. Danielle Darrieux was 85 when she made this film; She is now 98 and did a film in 2010. Some French people live a very long time - I think it's the wine.

Deneuve, 59 here, is stunning, very elegant and regal. Fanny Ardant as Pierette is gorgeous and sexy, displaying dry wit and disdain for convention. Emmanuelle Beart is the insubordinate, sexually adventurous (according to her) maid who transforms herself during the film, as does Augustin (Isabelle Huppert), the homely sister-in-law. Firmine Richard, a formidable black actress, does an impressive job with the role of Chanel, the housekeeper who finally reveals her secret.

They are all so wonderful -- French women to my mind have a very earthy, worldly quality as well as sophistication. When one thinks of some American actresses in comparison, they seem like plain vanilla. It's a generalization, I know, and we do have some fine actresses, but I think the mindset of American show business is focused on youth and typecasting.

This film is enjoyable because of the cast and the look of the movie. I can't say the music was fabulous or even fit this story. It was a touch of whimsy and the upbeat tunes were fun. There were some sad ones, too. C'est la vie.

These ladies kick ass!

[RWiggum · 10/10 · 20 August 2003]

'8 Women' is a rather unique film. On the surface it is the probably only entry in the genre of the grotesque whodunit-musical. But actually, it's a huge playground - for the actresses who get the chance to play with the stereotypes attached to them, and for director François Ozon to toy with the clichés of the whodunit.

Here's the setup: 1950s. A beautiful mansion. A man is found lying in his bed with a knife in his back. The possible suspects: His wife, his two daughters, his sister, his mother-in-law, his sister-in-law, the chambermaid and the cook. As these eight women can't leave the estate or call the police, they try to find the murderer themselves. We know this situation from countless Agatha Christie-stories.

But what Ozon makes of this situation is just incredible. It already begins with the casting: Who else could play the gentrified Gaby if not Catherine Deneuve? Is there any actress who would fit more perfectly for the role of the spinsterish sister than Isabelle Huppert? Who else would you want to walk around in that dress of a chambermaid than the most desirable Emmanuelle Béart? The actresses are eagerly playing with the stereotypes that surround them because of both, the roles they played and their private lives.

Then there's the story: All whodunits have those obligatory scenes where the motives of all characters are revealed. '8 Women' takes that formula and deliberately goes over the top with it, it's characters are unfaithful, pregnant, lesbian, poisoners and many things more. And as a final twist, the film stops eight times to give each of its protagonists a chance to reveal her true character in a scene entirely devoted to them - singing and dancing. There is also another scene worth mentioning that is entirely dedicated to the actresses: A scene with a lot of dialog that entirely consists of nothing but a series of closeups - and that for about three minutes.

Cinephiles can enjoy this film on even another level: The film is filled with references to beloved classics. Consider Fanny Ardant's musical number, which pays homage to Rita Hayworth's glove-strip in 'Gilda', and another Rita Hayworth-moment so wonderful I won't reveal it here. Consider Emmanuelle Béarts hairstyle that echoes Kim Novak in 'Vertigo'. Consider the fact that the late husband of the Dannielle Darrieux character was a general, reminding us of 'Madame de...'. Or consider the painting of the young Catherine Deneuve hanging in one room - a replica of a 'Belle de jour'-poster. All this is supported by the rich, colorful cinematography, the art direction and the costumes, that give the entire film a 1950s look.

But attention: If you give this film a chance, don't expect it to be logically consistent. It isn't. But that doesn't matter at all. The murder mystery story is replaceable. The film is entirely devoted to its brilliant actresses and the wonderful, bitchy dialog they exchange. It's great fun and it is getting better with every viewing.

A Nest of Snakes, in a Theatrical and Overrated Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 1 February 2004]

In a house with eight women, the unique man in the house is found dead on his bed, stabbed on the back. He was the husband and father of three of them, and had some type of connection with the others. The eight women are trapped in the house, surrounded by a heavy snow, without a telephone line or a car, which were sabotaged. Dirty secrets are revealed along the story, showing that the house is indeed a nest of snakes, culminating in a surprising end, with lots of black humor. This movie has some of the best actresses from French contemporary cinema. The story is too short, therefore the director used lots of boring songs, with a ridiculous choreography, to complete the running period. It looks like a theater play, basically taking place in one scenario only. Catherine Deneuve is very fat and swelled, and uses some costumes with a large stripe around the belly to hide her shape. Isabelle Huppert is too much caricatural, performing a middle age single woman. Her character has irritated me, how ridiculous she is. The rest of the cast shows good shape and great performance. Maybe the greater problem was the expectation I had with this film: too much propaganda and very overrated in the critics. The conclusion of the plot is really worthwhile. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): `8 Mulheres' (`Eight Women')

Well crafted drama/mystery/musical...

[dwpollar · 9/10 · 23 January 2005]

1st watched 1/23/2005 - 9 out of 10(Dir-Francois Ozone): Well crafted drama/mystery/musical that is so full it's hard to critique into a summary. The basic plot is that 8 related women find themselves in the same place at approximately the same time when the lone man is presumed to be murdered, who happens to be the grandfather, father, husband, bearer of child, lover etc… of the women(not necessarily in that order). You talk about complexity of plot? Every time someone opens their mouth another twist is thrown into the mix. I think it would take at least another viewing to understand everyone's relationship with everyone else by the end of the movie. And besides this, musical numbers are thrown in to help us understand the characters that are sung by themselves and sometimes backed up by the rest of the cast(ala Bollywood). One thing I have always noticed about French movies is that they come across as a confused people but they're OK with that, instead of the American's who believe that "they" have the answers to everything. This makes it slightly un-comfortable for us pompous Americans to view movies like this where every "real" thing in life is kind of taken with a little tongue-in-cheek mentality but this is the reality of their people and it's present often in their movies. Good for them!! This is so evident in this movie where because of it's mystery plot, we think that who did the killing is what's important, but what we find out is that there is much more behind the so-called answer we're seeking which makes for a very complex experience. Thank you French cinema. Without it there would not be movies like this.

Mockery of France

[stensson · 7/10 · 20 December 2002]

The French reputation, and especially the reputation of French artists, doesn't include self-irony or ridiculing their own culture. Here it is done in an intelligent and funny way. Even Catherine Deneuve (!) is making fun of herself and her way of acting and Isabelle Huppert is sensational. It's a pity that this actress hasn't had more comic parts before. Her character here will be remembered.

This is like a French film from the 50s (before the new wave). It is a murder drama and a musical. It doesn't take itself or anything else seriously. French upper class manners, French maids, French femmes fatales, French frigidity (!) is to be laughed at and one does. Well done.

FANTASTIQUE ! ! !

[Janet-4 · 9/10 · 19 March 2003]

In this time when it may be considered fashionable to bash the French (this is written on the eve of war - the USA against Iraq) I, for one, wish to open a bottle of the best French Champagne to toast this most marvelous film! Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Ozon! This movie is a treat on all levels - sure, it's not for everyone, but if you like musicals, and a plate full of gorgeous GREAT actresses to boot, then - have at it, and enjoy!

So Bad That It's Good

[kenjha · 6/10 · 2 August 2009]

Eight women are stranded at a snow-bound country house and there's a dead body. Whodunit? This is one of those films that's so bad that it's good - to an extent. It's based on a play and it looks like a low-budget filmed stage play except for the high-priced cast of Who's Who of French actresses. The script is amateurish, the direction is sloppy, and the acting ranges from bad to terrible. What makes it bearable and a curiosity piece is the campiness (it touches on teen pregnancy, adultery, lesbianism, incest, and suicide) and the vampy songs, belted out of the blue by each of the women through the course of the film. Ledoyen and Sagnier have the catchiest tunes.

I saw the future of French cinema and its name is François Ozon!

[dbdumonteil · 10/10 · 20 March 2004]

A movie launched in 2002, "8 femmes" was the establishing movie for François Ozon. Through his movies, from his medium-length film "See the Sea" (1997) to "8 women" (2002) to "the criminal lovers" (1999), he developed his own style based on surprise. In short, his aim is to surprise the spectator. With this movie, we can say that he reached his goal and it is probably his most accomplished movie. It is also a movie that confirms the originality of his cinema.

First of all, "8 women" is a movie that surprises by its tone breaks. It means that Ozon passes from drama to comedy with great ease just like Jaco Van Dormael with "Toto the Hero" (1991). As for the songs, they are totally unexpected. Which other director would have included musical numbers in a detective movie?

As for the influences of the movie, they are numerous. Of course, this film is an adaptation from a play that evokes the Agatha Christie universe but Ozon felt like scattering his movie with all kinds of allusions: Vincente Minelli, Douglas Sirk (the deer in the garden). These allusions are especially linked to French culture: the French TV program "au théâtre ce soir" but also Jacques Demy (the bright colors, the songs) and French cinema before the "new wave". More than allusions, they are tributes from a director who once said "I don't care about new-wave".

François Ozon also plays with the spectator, a bit like Hergé with the Tintin album "the Castafiore Emerald". He holds him spellbound until the end of the film either by leading him on wrong tracks, either by giving him clues that seem to make the movie progress, and this until the final revelation that turns out to be unexpected and amazing. Besides, given the conclusion, Ozon's movie can be considered in its whole as a farce with absurd humor. The best example involves Danièle Darrieux. At the beginning of the movie, she seems to be disabled but then she stands up and walks without any difficulty for an important part of the movie!

The movie is also powerful thanks to its dialogs. On this point, beware of the poster where these 8 women have a smiling countenance! These witty and sometimes ironical dialogs reveal these women's real personality that mainly rests on selfishness. Furthermore, the actresses have a spare time in the shoes of their respective character (Isabelle Huppert is particularly irresistible).

Ozon also left high and dry several details that have, in the long run nothing important (and it is a compliment): we don't know at what time the movie takes place. Several points of the movie show it: the songs composed at different times. Then, certain elements of scenery and dialogs seem either dated either modern. In another extent, we never see the face of the sole man in the plot.

In the end, "8 women" is an unrealistic, timeless and unique movie and surprise to see this movie meet commercial acclaim in France. François Ozon by imposing his style so peculiar remains more than ever a filmmaker to follow.

Women under enclosure

[valadas · 7/10 · 24 October 2002]

This movie is simultaneously a tragicomedy, a suspense murder story and a musical in a very well balanced mixture. There is no male character except for the man who lies there on bed with a knife in his back almost since the beginning. And as a matter of fact the movie is not short of it since the 8 women fill it with their marvellous performances namely the 4 sacred monsters of French cinema: Darrieux, Deneuve, Ardant and Huppert. The scenery of the interior where the women are enclosed is of gorgeous luxury. The story develops itself in a crescendo of intertwined secrets in which everyone's cupboards are being successively opened showing the skeletons hidden there. No one escapes that not even the 2 teen-agers or the 2 maids. The first scenes make us think we are going to see a pink movie showing the life of a happy virtuous and well-behaving family but conflict soon begins throwing every member against every other one as far as those terrible secrets become revealed sometimes in an explosive way. There are no flaws in the story structure no matter how surprising its developments may be. However the end (which of course I won't reveal now) looks like being somewhat weak as a logical solution to the plot that seduces us more and more as far as it's being developed and that makes us expect a quite different climax. When I say weak I mean a little bit artificial in terms of logic. But anyway it's a story worth seeing and that small imperfection doesn't affect too badly the movie's global merits.

Silly, annoying, don't waste your time

[neudorf · 1/10 · 28 October 2002]

What a waste of talent!! Even a farce should be funny, or witty, or entertaining. This one is neither!! The plot is so stupid, acting so bad, characters so shallow, that even as a parody (about mystery movies) it's bad. If you say: Well, it's a musical, what would you expect? My opinion is that even as a musical, it's not worth seeing. These actresses cannot sing or dance very well..

This could have been a nice , forgettable amateur theater production in some provincial town. As a big screen movie, it's a total waste of your time.

Not hilarious but consistently amusing and entertaining thanks to across-the-board strong delivery

[bob the moo · 28 December 2006]

It is nearing Christmas when Gaby and teenage daughter Suzon return to their home. Her husband Marcel is poorly but he has allowed Gaby's mother Mamy and Aunt Augustine to remain in the house as well – with maids Chanel and Louise to help with the guests and his other daughter Catherine. With all these women in the house, minor squabbles break out but nothing compares to the tension when Louise discovers that someone has murdered Marcel. With the house cut off by snow and the phone lines cut, it is clear that one of the eight assembled women must have done the murder – but with so many motives and so much suspicion, who could it have been?

Even if you have not seen any of these types of films or plays, the set-up will be familiar as a sort of drawing-room "one of us is the murderer" affair and indeed that is exactly what it is, in the tradition of Agatha Christie I suppose. However what Ozon's film does is take the staples of this genre and plays with them to produce a richly comic, colourful and enjoyable exaggeration thereof. Unlike some reviewers, I did not find it roaringly funny but did find it continually amusing. The plot could have been played straight and thus is good enough to hold the interest as a genre piece but it is the delivery that makes it enjoyable and engaging. While some of the songs are a bit ropey, their delivery is all slightly ott and fun for it. It also helps that the whole film is full of rich colours, again giving it the feel of a play, happening right in front of you.

Of course as with any play, a lot does rest on the cast and here we are not disappointed as the starry cast mostly "get" what the film is trying to do. Deneuve is great as the wife while Darrieux enjoys her character a great deal. Béart and Ardant both stick in the mind easily because they have a great lingering sexuality to their characters that they bring out well (Béart is particularly impressive at this game and it was here that I twigged how stunning she is). Huppert is enjoyable but I didn't like the changes her character undergoes at the end. Ledoyen is very good with her character but I wasn't so taken with Sagnier – she was OK but I thought she had the least to work with.

Overall then an enjoyable and lively take on an occasionally dry genre. The plot is solid enough to be interesting but it is the delivery across the board that adds colour, vitality and fun to the mix – from direction through set design to of course the performances. Not hilarious but consistently amusing and entertaining.

Wonderful french soufflé of entertainment

[pepe4u22 · 7/10 · 20 February 2012]

What a terrific little foreign gem to watch . All the actresses involved were spot on in their acting and the movie moved along with a breezy and wonderful pace. As I watched the movie I noticed in one scene a picture of Ms. Denueve in her youth but she still looks radiant in this movie. The plot is been there done it but with a couple of twists and the musical numbers are wonderful two stand out the first with the mom and her daughters and the other was when the two daughters were in their room. I know some people do not like subtitles but to me I rarely notice and the movie was wonderfully entertaining. I highly recommend it to watch.

8 Women: 8 facets of womanhood which drive men crazy...

[davidguy · 10/10 · 8 February 2002]

Francois Ozon is a daring director who never leaves the audience indifferent... 8 Women can be seen as a mysoginist view of womanhood from the viewpoint of a gay director... However I for one saw this movie as great entertainment and excellent showpiece for France's leading screen divas.

8 Woman is a whodunnit not so far from Agatha Christie's 10 Petits Negres: 8 women each have enough reasons to kill the father, in-law, brother and master of the house. Of course I will not tell who killed the man and why, but it is not so important after all. Because 8 Women is first and foremost about womanhood: all facets of the woman exposed through the revelations, attitudes, manipulations of 8 different women: the girl, the blossoming young lady (Ledoyen), the femme fatale (fabulous Ardant), the femme repressed (hilarious Huppert), the bourgeoise (Deneuve), the old stepmother, the lesbian, the sexual and sexy maid (Beart).

This film is all about the cast performance. All women have their sing-a-song moment very apropos and funny. All actors deliver stunningly, especially Ardant, Deneuve and Beart. It is very lighthearted despite the somber revelations: bright colours, golden 50's nostalgic atmosphere, nice pop tunes with fun choreography.

It is great to see that French directors love their actresses whatever their age... Hollywood learn from this, we don't care much about Pamela Anderson or Jennifer Lopez-like babes... Honestly as a young French guy, the 50-something Fanny Ardant is the one who turned me on the most!

Wholeheartedly, 9.5/10

Camp, Silly, and Worth the Ride

[odin5491 · 7/10 · 12 January 2014]

8 Femmes is a high camp romp that is all about the ensemble cast of three generations of great French actresses, from an 84-year old Danielle Darrieux to a 22-year old Ludivine Sagnier, and that includes world stars Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, and Emmanuelle Beart.

Based on the eponymous 1958 play by Robert Thomas, the story is a familiar derivation of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Marcel, the head of a wealthy country household, is murdered. The eight women in his life — his wife (Deneuve), two daughters (Virginie Ledoyan and Sagnier), sister (Fanny Ardant), mother- (Darrieux) and sister-in-law (Huppert), chambermaid (Beart) and cook (Firmine Richard) — are trapped together in the château by sabotage and a snowstorm. Unable to contact the police, they set about trying to deduce which of them is the murderer. Lies are told; secrets are revealed; alliances are made and broken; and in the end there is a surprising double twist.

As a murder mystery, the plot is hardly worthy of, say, Anthony Shaffer. But the plot is not the point, as you realise when the cast first (and entirely unexpectedly) breaks into song. This is not a garden variety country house thriller: This is no-holds-barred family politics, packaged as a tongue-in-cheek imitation of 1950s glam entertainment. Sit back, and enjoy the snappy interaction among the leads, and the gradual revelation of their characters' desires, their petty jealousies, and the gambits they use and have used, against each other and against Marcel, to get what they want. It is occasionally clumsy, always campy, and you might roll your eyes now and then at a particular bit of silliness. But 8 Femmes is worth the ride.

A Delight! A movie to smile and take it as it comes.

[SAYSI · 9/10 · 27 February 2004]

Eight great actresses, one smart director, one look, and many surprising styles. Forget the plot, just enjoy beautiful audiovisual entertainment. ...with class. The songs were a surprise, and a pleasant one for that, they right away took the attitude of watching the film to a different dimension. To have fun, to see great and beautiful actresses and to just take things without being overly serious...8 Femmes is the ticket.

Great fun

[dancing_yogini · 7/10 · 11 June 2006]

Most bizarre film I've ever seen but such wonderfully campy fun.

It's your typical who done it being spoofed.

The dead man is apparently doing everyone. stereotypical French man, except the mother in law. Every one else is doing everyone else... didn't know this about French women.

The 50s settings and colors are magnificent.

The twists and turns are so much fun - great humor.

The ending is worth the price of admission.

Thanks to RWiggum from Erlangen, Germany for giving me a lot of other ways to look at the film.

To be seen on multiple levels - the more, the better

[xavier-2 · 10/10 · 13 July 2003]

Beneath the plot, the acting and the singing, the movie is even more enjoyable with some references. (1) While combinations of actresses of that caliber are almost unheard of anywhere, the older actresses have intersected before - and mock their prior common roles. In particular, Darrieux played Deneuve's mother twice before; Darrieux' role as the mother in Demoiselles de Rochefort, Les (1967) parallels that played by Deneuve here. (2) The actresses each mock one of their own mannerisms and/or that of one of the other actresses. For instance, Ledoyen imitates the hand movements typical of Deneuve in the 1960s and 1970s. Look also for the pairs matched in the back-to-back dance near the end - more clues! (3) Each actress also imitates one famous star or style of American cinema of the era (that is, the 1940s-1960s). Most obviously, Béart imitates Jeanne Moreau in Journal d'une femme de chambre, Le (1964) and Ardant imitates Rita Hayworth (e.g., Gilda (1946)). (4) The linchpin between these actresses, via various directors, is Romy Schneider. The picture that Deneuve picks up from Béart's apron is Schneider's. Basically, you may enjoy the film (or not) on the first degree, but for better or for worse, it is full of references. The good news, for cinephiles, is that the references are a lot broader and a fair bit more subtle than the typical Hollywood-to-Hollywood, Cinecita-to-Cinecita or Hong Kong-to-Hong Kong navel gazing.

It doesn't work.

[gridoon · 6/10 · 11 January 2004]

There are some terrific performances here (in my opinion, the best were by Huppert, Ledoyen and Ardant, in that order), but whenever the film threatens to actually engross us, it is done in by the artificiality of the concept (example: right after finding out - in shock - that her brother has been murdered, Ardant does a "Gilda"-type strip number), and the preposterousness of its plot "revelations" (did you notice that piece of information about Ledoyen's baby?). Agatha Christie was always careful to establish the motives of the various suspects; here every woman is meant to be a suspect, but most of them had no reason at all to kill the victim. The ending is a bummer, too; it has been done before in several American films, most notably a 1986 horror comedy which I will not name here, because that would be a spoiler. Let's just say it begins with "A". For an excellent "drawing-room" comedy-mystery, see "Murder By Death" instead. (**1/2)

Camp By Eight

[nycritic · 10/10 · 18 August 2006]

Much like the lightweight tone that Alfred Hitchcock took with filming NORTH BY NORTHWEST after his very heavy-handed VERTIGO, Francois Ozon, a completely different film-maker who shot to international acclaim in 2000 with his introspective drama SOUS LE SABLE, decided to do a 180-degree turn and tackle a musical in the 1950's vein. 8 FEMMES begins with a montage of flowers seen up close and some very Mancini-like music in the opening credits announcing each and every one of the eight female leads, and recreates, inch by inch, a visual splendour that Douglas Sirk would have cheered. Fake snow, fake backdrops, a picturesque mansion, and the most harmless little deer this side of Bambi bring forth this atmosphere of shallow artifice, and this is only the beginning.

Immediately he moves into the house and introduces the players, women who are a part of a household, who dominate the scene with their very presence. Each one of them dressed in bold, distinctive colors, with diametrically opposed tempers to match, all gathering for a night of intrigue and catfights over the state of affairs of the man whom they are all related to -- Marcel -- who has apparently been killed by a knife in the back. As the day progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that all of them, including frail old Mamy who it seems is not an invalid and can walk quite well and Pierrette, Marcel's sister who lives nearby and enters the film in with a truck load of secrets beneath her cool facade, has a motive to have killed Marcel.

Agatha Christie's spirit channeled in a musical? You bet. And what a rollicking ride 8 FEMMES is! Garish and melodramatic, a product from the land of Technicolor, and boasting wacky performances that only get more complicated as things progress and layers of lies are peeled away. The cast is something concocted out of a fantasy of casting: there's Catherine Deneuve who plays Gaby, a catty snob, wife to Marcel and gets to utter a completely outrageous line to Isabelle Huppert who plays her sister Augustine: "I am rich and beautiful, while you are ugly and poor." Danielle Darrieux, a grand dame of movies since the Forties, is a hoot as Mamy, and there is a hysterical scene where after a confession to Huppert's character goes horribly crazy, Deneuve whacks her on the head with a glass carafe (or bottle?). Virginie Ledoyen and Ludivine Sagnier play daughters to Deneuve who may not have the same father; Emmanuelle Beart is Louise, the quintessential exaggeration of a French maid complete with a kissable pout, Firmine Richard plays the house maid who has her own secrets and is a dead ringer to Louise Beavers in essence. Then there's the outstanding Fanny Ardant, a more smoldering, sensual incarnation of Katharine Hepburn (and looking just like Hepburn circa 1949 when she made ADAM'S RIB), who enters the movie at the right time to get things really complicated and who later on has one of the best moments on film: a catfight with none other than Deneuve herself.

8 FEMMES is an excessive movie made for film buffs who know about excess in the form of color, campy performances, and who love watching female icons getting bitchy with each other. All of the performances have their moments of high and low, but Huppert not only takes the cake -- she grabs it, runs for the nearest exit, and gobbles it whole in one gluttonous gulp and she acts like she knows it. Deneuve is quite acidic in her role -- it's been light years since she's been "just the pretty ingénue" from the days of THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. Older, with sharper features, and yet still regal and cool with a "what the hell" attitude. But above all of them there is Ozon, someone I was not aware of until recently, and whose films I'm enjoying the more I see them, bringing this time capsule as if he himself were impersonating Vincent Minnelli or Robert Wise himself. A perfect ooh-la-la of a movie.

Theatrical Ozon

[jotix100 · 6/10 · 12 June 2004]

The first hint this is a play within a movie is the coloring of the set: it's too tacky! Then, there is the heavy emoting from most of the principals of this silly farce. Shame on you, Francois Ozon!

The American style of musical comedy is not something that directors from Europe tackle too often. M. Ozon, one of France's best creators, decided to adapt this play for the screen with mixed results when songs were added. M. Ozon probably must have needed time in a sanatorium after directing all these personalities with their different egos and self importance.

Some time ago a friend asked me if I ever had seen a Catherine Deneuve film that was any good. I had to think hard, and frankly, I didn't come out with an answer. This actress is an iceberg on screen. Oh la la! She registers nothing at all, as her facial expressions are the same no matter what film, or plot, or situation.

The best scene in the film is when Fanny Ardant seduces Ms Deneuve into a lesbian encounter on the living room floor. Since we don't have to look at her face, could it have meant Catherine enjoyed the little tumble in the Persian carpet?

What about Fanny Ardant camping as a latter day Gilda? Sorry, Fanny, no one can imitate Rita Hayworth, at least not you. How about Isabelle Huppert's Augustine? She is a mess! The ones that fare better of the whole cast, as far as I'm concerned, are Ludivine Sagnier, Virginie Ledoyen, and the always dignified Danielle Darrieux.

Gratefuly, I borrowed the CD from a friend. I avoided seeing this film in spite of having seen almost all of Francois Ozon's movies, who, by the way, must be forgiven for this little number. Let's not forget he went to do Swimming Pool right after this dud!

Gosford Parc

[paul2001sw-1 · 4/10 · 17 March 2007]

How do you update the Agatha Christie-style country-house murder mystery? One approach was seen in the movie 'Gosford Park', which kept the British period setting but added a note of social realism, as well as the talents of just about every leading contemporary British actor. Francois Ozon's 'Eight Women' features a similarly rich cast of French acting talent, updates the setting to the present day, but in contrast to Robert Altman's movie, keeps more of the contrived conventions of the Agatha Christie novel. Specifically, this means a ludicrous plot, characters who act for paper thin (or indiscernible) motivations, an absence of believable dialogue or emotions and a continual round of unprovoked revelations that serve to make everyone a suspect. Ozon doesn't play this dead straight, at times he has fun with the absurdities of the genre, but not really enough fun to make up for the fundamental ridiculousness of the whole construction; and in merging the mystery with another genre, the musical, he creates a more distinctive film although it has to be said that the musical elements never really feel wholly integrated into the rest of the movie. Overall, it's a bit of a waste of the distinguished cast: they all enjoy hamming it up, but frankly, this is not a film where an ability to act is actually that important.