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8 Women Details

2002 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 4976 members

From French director Francois Ozon, 8 WOMEN is a character drama and musical set in a country home during Christmastime in the 1950s. Though the atmosphere seems light and festive, when the host, Marcel, is stabbed in the back, one of the eight women in the house must be the culprit. The youngest of the bunch, Catherine (.. Read more

Starring Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Beart, Isabelle Huppert, Fanny Ardant
Director Francois Ozon
Genres Comedy, Gay/Lesbian, World Cinema

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8 Women

From French director Francois Ozon, 8 WOMEN is a character drama and musical set in a country home during Christmastime in the 1950s. Though the atmosphere seems light and festive, when the host, Marcel, is stabbed in the back, one of the eight women in the house must be the culprit. The youngest of the bunch, Catherine (Ludivine Sagnier), is a teenager who loved her Daddy and also loves police novels. Her sister, Suzon (Virginie Ledoyen), is a student in England who has traveled home for the holiday. Their mom is Gaby (Catherine Deneuve), the ungrieving wife of Marcel, who never reveals too much. Grandma, who goes by Mamie (Danielle Darrieux), is an alcoholic who reveals that she's not as innocent as she looks when she walks right out of her wheelchair. Marcel's sister, Pierrette (Fanny Ardant) arrives mysteriously just after the murder. The maids, Louise (Emmanuelle Beart) and Chanel (Firmine Richard), are obviously up to no good as their stories keep changing. And the neurotic and hilarious Augustine (Isabelle Huppert), Gaby's sister, is the aging virgin who is just plain unstable. As each of these women interrogate each other, each singing her own song as a type of encrypted confession, there are some very funny moments. 8 WOMEN unfolds like a demented CLUE, with absurd tidbits of information--Chanel is actually an exotic dancer; Gaby and Louise are lesbian lovers--coming straight from Ozon's quirky sense of humor. A magnificent set, a snowy backdrop, and candy colored costumes complete this wacky tongue-in-cheek affair.

Starring Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Beart, Isabelle Huppert, Fanny Ardant, Virginie Ledoyen, Danielle Darrieux, Ludivine Sagnier, Firmine Richard
Director Francois Ozon
Studio PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Run time DVD: 1 hr 43 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Comedy, Gay/Lesbian, World Cinema
Language DVD: French
Released DVD: 18 Aug 2006
Production year: 2002
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (6) of 8 Women

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  • 4 stars out of 5

    Where do you start to lavish praise when so many aspects of a film are so laudable? This adaptation of Robert Thomas's long-forgotten play crackles with catty quips and also serves up a surprisingly decent murder mystery — in which eight women are trapped in an isolated country house with a murderer either on the loose or among their number. The costumes and sets both reference and satirise the styles of the 1950s, while the vibrant colours — richly photographed by Jeanne Lapoirie — are reminiscent of overheated Hollywood melodramas. The stellar cast is sublime, but Isabelle Huppert takes the hotly contested acting honours as the dowdy sister of glamorous matriarch Catherine Deneuve. Holding it all together is the masterful direction of François Ozon, whose blend of Agatha Christie and Douglas Sirk is as precise as it is mischievous.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006
  • 2 stars out of 4

    Highly artificial, witty, enjoyable pastiche of a country house murder mystery, with bravura performances from its stellar cast, representing four generations of French acting, who burst into song at unexpected moments.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of 8 Women

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  • 27 out of 39 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Non

    Imagine a Poirot with a musical number every 15 mins or so. Crap, crap, crap.

      • A customer from London, England
      • Posted 27 Sep 2005 21:37

  • Most recent members' review of 8 Women

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  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Amazing French film

    As with most French films, this film is fabulous. It is done, I thought, with some parts tongue-in-cheek. The occasional musical number added a comedic side to this murder mystery. With the all-star cast, one knows this film cannot disappoint. If you like truly good films (i.e. of the non-Hollywood blockbuster variety), this film will be a treat.

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Rating breakdown

4,976 Member ratings
  • 100
387
  • 90
361
  • 80
763
  • 70
734
  • 60
828
  • 50
566
  • 40
460
  • 30
338
  • 20
358
  • 10
181

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      • From French director Francois Ozon, 8 WOMEN is a character drama and musical set in a country home during Christmastime in the 1950s. Though the atmosphere seems light and festive, when the host, ...