neumu [ cinematronic ]




	8 Women
	François Ozon Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Béart, Fanny Ardent, Virginie Ledoyen, Danielle Darrieux, Ludivine Sagnier, Firmine Richard 2001		French director François Ozon wasn't content to merely manufacture a Technicolor-y, 1950s-style widescreen musical with "8 Women." He also made certain that it was an old-fashioned murder mystery, an all-star blockbuster with "celebrity moments" from each member of its high-profile cast, and a tongue-in-cheek travesty of every genre he mined for the film. Its artificiality is willful, and its cast, eight exquisite actresses spanning four generations of French cinema, is enchanting. Glam mama Catherine Deneuve and fabulous daughter Virginie Ledoyen arrive at the family's isolated country mansion, where spunky youngest daughter Ludivine Sagnier, bookish aunt Isabelle Huppert, dour grandma Danielle Darrieux and two servants — matronly Firmine Richard and vixen-ish maid Emmanuelle Béart — await. It's revealed that Papa is dead up in his bedroom. So who done it? When not singing and dancing to cute French pop songs of the era, the gals (including vamp-next-door Fanny Ardent) are heavily into backbiting banter. Trés amusant!