Mon crime

What if one of Harvey Weinstein's victims, unable to fend off her attacker, just shot him through the head? Would that count as self-defence? And how would the court case about this crime look like?

This is one way of interpreting 'Mon Crime', the delightful new film by François Ozon. The similarities are too obvious to ignore. It's about a young, attractive actress visiting a powerful film producer in order to get a part in a new film. But during the interview, the producer turns out to be a sexual predator. She admits to having killed him with his own gun. During the court case, she uses all her acting abilities to convince the jury of her innocence.

The funny thing is, this is not a serious analysis of power and gender, but a screwball comedy set in 1930's Paris. It's hilarious, it's stylish, and it's full of razor sharp references to the present. Ozon captures the 1930's style of film making perfectly, including the exaggerated acting, the witty dialogues, and the continuous plot twists, one even more improbable than the other.

It's clear that Ozon had lots of fun making this movie. He inserted small films-within-the film (in silent-movie style), he used marvellous 30s locations (I recognized the Villa Empain in Brussels), he casted Isabelle Hupert in one of the most memorable parts of the film, and he lets the jokes continue, even during the end credits.

This is not a cutting-edge film which will blow you away. But it's a perfectly made, very entertaining movie which doesn't have any weak moments.

Directed by Francois Ozon, it makes you look forward to seeing the film. Does it work? Yes, mostly. The cast is fantastic, down to the smallest part.

A young actress is being promised a part in a play, but she has to indulge the producer's wishes to be his lover. He tries to make advances, but she runs and escapes the mess.

The next day the police arrives at the apartment of the actress, where she is living with her friend, who's a lawyer, and have practiced for one year. The producer havr been killed.

To advance her career the two girls makes a plan, where she confess to his murder, counting on being acquitted, and then she'll have a name and be successful.

But then something unexpected happens, the real murder contacts the girls. She's an actor, out of luck getting parts in films, it's the era of films with sound, it's 1935. She was big in the silent film years, not now. She's demanding 300.000 Francs to keep quiet.

Now, the rest you must see for your self. It's a quite entertaining and fun film. It's not amongst the best, and it wouldn't even have been as good as it is, if Isabelle Huppert, one of the very finest actors in the world, wasn't playing thr real murderess. In fact all the actors do a fine job. Plus, it's always a pleasure to see Andre Dusollier.

I laughed out loud almost in every scene, it's so simple and funny! Just loved it!

The feel is similar to Eight Women, even feels like it is a sort of a sequel, however the setting is different. The storyline turns unexpectedly, it's in a way similar to those absurd theater comedies though it doesn't look so. The acting is superb, grotesque-like style, especially when Isabelle Huppert appears all of a sudden, and then André Dussolier. And of course, under this being pseudo-light and superficial, there's definitely issues raised (and mocked, Ozon style): gender stereotypes, corrupt judicial system, personal values, etc. Enjoyed every minute of it and highly recommend!

It is the movie which looks as a theatrical play and finely frame we will see it will become that. There is a lot of humor and beautiful costumes related to that time when it happens and there's no doubt that you will enjoy in it. Everything is stunning and shiny, but culmination arises in the moment when comes Isabelle Huppert in the role of poor silent actress at the end of her career. With her appearance she steals all your attention. Anyway, everyone in it is charming and in a kind of seductive approach and by that it will fill your attention. The creator, François Ozon, of it made adaptation of a Parisian play from 1934 by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil and he did it very well!!!

I have to say that this is really fast and funny, right from the very beginning. The pretty and splendid girls, Nadia Tereskiewicz and Rebecca Marder are wonderful and his judge Fabrice Luchini just as funny. We know there is a killing but we are not absolutely sure what is going on, but it is amusing and very fast, back and forward all the time. We have the court, just as much fun as that and then we have a breather and we realise that it is half way through. Then it starts again probably even more fast but for me it becomes like a farce and a bit silly BUT at this point we get Isabelle Huppert. She is always excellent and with this one she plays it farcically and she is really good. For me the second half is not really so amazing as the first but certainly just as fast and Huppert is remarkable even awe-inspiring.