MovieChat Forums > 8 femmes (2002) Discussion > Weirdest. Film. Ever.

Weirdest. Film. Ever.

posted 17 years ago by the_yellow_brick_road
5 replies | jump to latest

Singing? Incest? Lesbians?
Don't get me wrong I have nothing against these things...except the second one of course.
But seriously, did I miss something here? Is this just standard fare from this director? At first I thought I had the wrong movie...I just didn't see the point to the aformentioned elements (which were clearly fundamental in the film) or what this film was trying to say.
That's not to say that a film has to have a point..but it's french. French films usually always have some kind of message, underlying theme etc...this was just weird and twisted for the sake of being so. Even more so than the triplette's of belville..which was weird but then it had that americans-are-capitalist-pigs thing going on. 8 huit femmes just seemed like an exercise in alienating the audience. I still love french movies. But this...no.

"Seeing as the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on the QT?"

[–] cate_elise_blanchett 17 years ago

It is not exactly standard fare from Francois Ozon.

Not every French film has a message though. In this instance, 8 femmes is a homage of sorts. It is a musical- though what is stressed is that the women acting in the film are foremost actresses.

The genius in the film are the little homages it has that film-lovers would recognise like the Rita Hayworth-inspired glove tease that Ardant did, the typecast of the blonde ice-queen Deneuve plays and etc. Besides that, the film is a whole lot of fun and does not in fact alienate the audience but pulls them into the middle of it all. It is not meant to be a serious film. Plus, the cast alone is a feat to be enjoyed on its own.

ps. there was only one lesbian in the film -Mdm Chanel, Ardant's character was bisexual.

life is full of censorship.i can't spit in your eye. -katharine hepburn

[–] mextex12 17 years ago

I loved this film, so weird, so glamarous, so theatrical, so colouful, so absurd.

[–] mt-kailash-1 17 years ago

The whole film comes over as a filmed stage play.
I think Ozon appreciates older women .He features Charlotte Rampling in other films and here he has Deneuve and the deliciously named Fanny Ardent in a bit of lesbo action.
I'm all for it myself.
The film as a whole is tiresome in so many other ways.
I prefer the mood piece "Sous le sable" myself.

[–] lilbittytroll 17 years ago

Ozon's films tend to be a bit bizarre, but in different ways. "Sitcom" was way more over-the-top than "8 femmes," as was his short, "Photo de famille" (which is on the "Sitcom" DVD as a special feature). "Swimming Pool" was weird in that it played with the fine line separating fantasy and reality, though the subject matter was somewhat more tame than "Sitcom" or "8 femmes."

I also agree that it helps if you can recognize the allusions and homages sprinkled throughout the film. Go to the "Movie Connections" page and watch some of the films listed, and I think you'll find the film more interesting.

[–] skay_baltimore 12 years ago

Definitely one of the most unique films I've ever seen. When it was all said and done, however, I really liked it. Very original, IMO.

"Love isn't what you say or how you feel, it's what you DO". (The Last Kiss)