07/03/2023 - François Ozon enjoys himself and also entertains us with a masterful comedy, both light and caustic, lending MeToo accents to a 1930s play and offering his actors a joyous terrain

"Sorry, I’m getting confused with another crime, with the memory of an old film." When the prolific and talented François Ozon, who’s able to bounce from one genre to another at a rate of knots (22 feature films since 1998), decides to make a comedy, as he sometimes tends to do (and always to great acclaim, as proven by 8 Women [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in 2002 and Potiche [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in 2010), playful irony and cinephile-style gaiety are always in the mix, enveloped in a light atmosphere which also leaves room for caustic wisdom.

Released in French cinemas on 8 March by Gaumont, The Crime Is Mine [+see also:
trailer
interview: François Ozon
film profile] - a loose adaptation of a Parisian play from 1934 by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil - is no exception to this rule. Here, the filmmaker gives free rein to his admiration for comedies produced during Hollywood’s golden era (by Ernst Lubitsch, first and foremost), offering up a machine-gun-speed parade of actors embarking on a string of adventures, all the while respecting the artificiality of theatrical comedy traditions (anything can happen, nothing really has any repercussions). But the filmmaker coats the movie with a thick layer of modernity, placing the female quest for independence and struggle against the patriarchy ("is it not possible, in 1935, to have a career, to lead one’s life as a woman, without constraint, in total freedom and with total equality?") at the heart of his film.

It’s also a question of art (the lead protagonist is a young actress), of film (from the silent kind through to talking movies), of aspirations to fame, of poverty and wealth, of a police inquiry, of the workings of the legal system, of the amplifying effects of the media, of the tyre-making industry, of businessmen, of economies of truth and of reactive opportunism, against a backdrop of sincerity. In short, the film isn’t short on drivers, and advances full throttle, continually gaining in quality and in entertainment value through to the very end (after an initial adjustment period vis-à-vis the film’s set-up  – set design, acting – which is inherent to its style but very different to modern-day movies).

In terms of the story, without wanting to give away all of its ramifications, it’s about two young penniless friends: one, Madeleine (Nadia Tereszkiewicz), is accused of murdering a powerful stage show producer who tried to sexually assault her in exchange for a small role. The other, Pauline (Rebecca Marder), who’s a lawyer, comes to her defence. Backed into a corner by coincidence and by the investigating judge (Fabrice Luchini), these young women adopt the strategy of lying (Madeleine is actually innocent), invoke legitimate feminist self-defence ("ladies, let us be our own guardians in a French society plagued by men") and court media attention. It’s the time of the Violette Nozière affair, and Bad Seed (Billy Wilder’s only French film) is screening in cinemas. Ultimately acquitted, Madeleine becomes famous and is snowed under by offers, much like Pauline ("your crime is working miracles"). But Odette Chaumette (Isabelle Huppert), a deposed star of silent film, soon rears her head: "I’m the real killer. You stole my crime from me and now you’re going to have to give it back"…

Perfectly staged and offering an array of delectable roles to all of its actors, The Crime Is Mine doesn’t take itself seriously and is full to bursting with brilliant lines ("admittedly this sudden death is one of the happiest events of my life", "when you’re faced with a woman who goes so far as to commit a crime to protect her honesty, you don’t offer her an affair, you marry her"), all the while tackling serious subjects. It’s a finely tuned balance, resulting in a comedy exuding "a scent of roses, a mild taste of all things fleeting", which will surely appeal to wider audiences.

The Crime Is Mine is produced by Mandarin & Compagnie, in co-production with Foz, Gaumont, France 2 Cinéma, Scope Pictures and Playtime (who are steering international sales).

(Translated from French)