Ozon's masterful study of a crumbling marriage

Once labelled the 'Enfant Terrible' of French cinema, Francois Ozon has been making great strides with every feature since his breakthrough hit 'Sitcom' and, with 5x2, Ozon has delivered an intelligent, serious and adult study of a relationship which stands as one of the finest films of the year.

5x2 comprises of five scenes in the life of a crumbling marriage, starting with the signing of the divorce papers and then taking us back in time to witness an uncomfortable dinner party, the birth of the couple?s child, their wedding and finally ending on their first meeting. Ozon presents these snapshots and lets us figure out how the loving, hopeful couple we see at the end of the film became the resentful and loveless pair we met at the start.

The central couple are Marion (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) and Gilles (Stephane Freiss), and the film revolves around the first-rate performances of these actors, especially the remarkable Tedeschi whose performance here is truly stunning. Next to her, co-star Freiss suffers a little in comparison. It?s not his fault, he gives a strong and believable performance, it?s just that we never get inside his head, and Gilles doesn?t develop as fully as Marion. Or perhaps that?s the point? Is Gilles' inability to change one of the reasons behind the failure of the marriage?

Because that?s exactly the sort of question Ozon invites us to ask with 5x2. Wisely, he never makes the cause of the breakup explicit, preferring to drop little clues here and there, evidence the viewer can then piece together. We re-evaluate what we?ve seen as the couple?s previous experiences are revealed to us. By the time the credits roll, we know some of the reasons for the failed marriage while others remain shrouded in mystery.

The film?s deceptively simple structure disguises the complex emotional and intellectual content. This is the most satisfying film Ozon has made yet, intelligent, tough and true. Far from being an 'Enfant Terrible', he can now stand proudly among the first rank of contemporary filmmakers.