8 Women (2001)
Directed by François Ozon
Genres - Comedy, Mystery, Crime, Musical, Thriller |
Sub-Genres - Ensemble Film, Black Comedy, Comedy of Manners |
Release Date - Sep 20, 2002 (USA - Limited), Sep 20, 2002 (USA) |
Run Time - 103 min. |
Countries - France, Italy |
MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Michael Hastings
A gaggle of mothers, wives, daughters, maids, and mistresses gather for a holiday homecoming at their country mansion -- and end up having to solve a murder-mystery -- in this musical-comic homage to studio-era "women's pictures" from acclaimed French director François Ozon. Partly inspired by George Cukor's 1939 classic The Women, 8 Femmes stars Catherine Deneuve as Gaby, a high-society matron just returned to her country house to celebrate Christmas with her husband; mother Mamy (Danielle Darrieux); sister Augustine (Isabelle Huppert); and daughters Suzon (Virginie Ledoyen) and Catharine (Ludivine Sagnier). Not long after they all arrive, however, do they find the man of the house with a knife in his back, whereupon everyone becomes a suspect -- including maids Chanel (Firmine Richard) and Louise (Emmanuelle Béart). The mysterious arrival of Augustine's sister-in-law Pierrette (Fanny Ardant) only complicates matters, as the titular eight women find themselves snowed in by a fierce blizzard, forced to confront the matter of the lifeless husband -- and their long-standing secrets and resentments -- without the aid of the police. Following its immensely successful release in France in early 2002, 8 Women enjoyed much acclaim at the Berlin and Toronto Film Festivals.
Characteristics
Moods
Keywords
family-secrets, maid, mansion, murder, snowbound, snowstorm, stabbing, women
Attributes
High Artistic Quality