SummarySet in 1977 in a provincial French town, POTICHE is a free adaptation of the 1970s eponymous hit comic play. Catherine Deneuve is Suzanne Pujol, a submissive, housebound ‘trophy housewife’ (or “potiche,”) who steps in to manage the umbrella factory run by her wealthy and tyrannical husband after the workers go on strike and take him hostage. To e... Read More
Directed By:François Ozon
Written By:François Ozon, Pierre Barillet, Jean-Pierre Grédy
Potiche
Metascore
Generally Favorable
68
User score
Mixed or Average
6.0
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
68
84% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
16% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Apr 21, 2011
75
If this sounds like cheesy melodrama, that's exactly how director Francois Ozon ("Swimming Pool," "8 Women") wants it.
User score
Mixed or Average
6.0
50% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
39% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
11% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
May 5, 2011
9
Not as deep as it might like you to believe, but VERY entertaining, as long as you don't object to the stereotypical French attitudes towards sex and fidelity. The performances are a delight and there are just enough plot twists to keep you guessing.
May 2, 2011
9
As an 18 year old straight male, this is not the movie gender and sexuality norms would suggest I would want to see. However, none-the-less I am happy I did. Potiche is all about breaking out of those gender norms and realizing one's potential. I won't give the plot away but I will say that the story of Suzanne Pujol (the trophy wife) unfolds in a way that is both charming and witty. As a young adult that has grown up on classic movies this movie was a breath of fresh air compared to the selection that one is often confronted with at theaters today. I would not recommend anyone below the age of 17 seeing this unless deemed appropriate (semi-explicit sex). All of this being said, I saw this by myself and regretted not asking my girlfriend to go with me. Potiche is a great movie with amazing performances by all. If you get a chance see this with your mother and or father, as this strikes me as a movie not just well suited to multi-gender viewings but multi-generational viewings also. Whatever you decide to do please take away the larger lesson from the movie. Potiche's lesson is well worth the time and money. It's going in my collection next to The Kings Speech.
Mar 31, 2011
75
Potiche is filled with rat-a-tat dialogue and broadly humorous situations, but Ozon also employs subtle touches.
Mar 24, 2011
70
You suspect, before long, that there is no strong reason for this production to exist, but it is reasonably good fun all the same.
Mar 25, 2011
65
It's all still pretty silly, though. So it makes sense that the director approaches the story through a period lens, encouraging his cast to behave as if they were in a frothy '70s confection like "Cousin Cousine" or "Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe."
Apr 7, 2011
63
What the movie utterly fails to resolve is what François Ozon is up to here and where he's going next.
Mar 25, 2011
50
It's just that the script, which Ozon adapted from a play, is lightweight and better-suited to stage than screen.
Feb 9, 2013
8
Comedia realista defensora de los derechos de las mujeres, fresca, divertida, y que te teletransporta a los años 70, no solo por los peinados y la ropa, sinó porqué la misma película parece rodada en esa época. Fabulosa la interpretación de Catherine Dneuve.
Dec 30, 2011
7
It's a fun movie. Nothing deep and special. I thought the best past was when the character started singing. It was cheesy but I totally think the story called for it.
Apr 20, 2011
7
It's a fun movie, and Catherine D. is phenomenal, as usual. There's a LOT more to the story than the trailer suggests. Definitely an interesting peek into the sexual politics of France in the 70's. What I've told people is that it put me in a good mood. Never a bad thing.
May 23, 2011
5
French director Francois Ozon has created some unusual and compelling films. This one is more pedestrian, but still interesting. Catherine Deneuve stars as the "trophy wife" of an umbrella factory owner. Things change when she "mans" the company's leadership. This takes place in 1977, so there's a zealous women's lib message (in addition to some fun period clothes). The story and characters are mostly predictable and the performances are adequate. Nothing exceptional here. Just a little French trifle.
Production Company:
- Mandarin Films
- FOZ
- France 2 Cinéma
- Mars Films
- Wild Bunch
- Scope Pictures
- Canal+
- France Télévisions
- TPS Star
- Région Wallone
- Banque Postale Image 3, La
- Cofinova 6
- Cinémage 4
- Soficinéma 6
- SCOPE Invest
Release Date:Mar 25, 2011
Duration:1 h 43 m
Rating:R
Tagline:France, 1977: Women's Liberation is in the air.
Awards
César Awards, France
• 4 Nominations
Magritte Awards, Belgium
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Venice Film Festival
• 2 Nominations
