My crime, entertaining theatrical mystery

With the considerable cruising speed of a movie a year, François Ozon premieres his latest piece my crime a few months after Peter von Kantboth based on plays. And it is the one that the French filmmaker has demonstrated his ability and remarkable skill to take theatrical texts to the cinema, as, among others, reveals the stupendous At home (2012) which adapted the acclaimed work “El chico de la ultima fila” by Juan Mayorga. A truly exceptional case in which a French filmmaker is inspired by a Spanish playwright.

Ozon’s other skill is filming stories with female protagonists, which also happens with my crime. I have a feeling that both in this case and in that of Mayorga’s piece, the resulting films enrich and enhance the works for the scene on which they are basedContrary to what is usual.

Sitcom wins big for splendid performerswith authentic monsters of the scene (Fabrice Luchini, Isabelle Huppert, Dany Boon, André Dussollier) in supporting roles, and a setting in the thirties that allows an apparently contradictory mythification of the time and ironic distance, with that moment of social change. with fascisms on the rise and the prelude to wars, and the architecture, decorations and costumes art Deco that are fascinating to the viewer.

In my crime, the condition of the protagonist as an actress and the farce-like situations lead to a distance that is not incompatible with a certain chronicle of the time, with the caricature of the judicial system and marriages of convenience, as well as the painful survival of young women, meat cannon for powerful men. You can reproach the stereotyped character of the charactersbut this is usual in this type of comedy.

The abuse of women and the conflicts derived from an era of evident patriarchy are highlighted with a current look that is not exempt from irony and grace. Even more: the ambiguity in the narration of the crime that an acquitted murderer and an innocent woman vindicate is masterful in bringing its resolution to theatrical fiction in the concluding scene. Ozon does not fall into the anachronism of applying current convictions to the 1930s, which is to be applauded, taking into account that the original play is from 1934. However, in its update the two young protagonists are stronger than the men who try to manipulate them although, to avoid Manichaeism in these matters, Huppert’s character appears as the reckless lady willing to twist all reality to accommodate her interests.

françois ozon achieves a script with several twists, fun and with rhythm. The personal stories narrated in black and white and 1:1.33 format give him grace. Surely a detailed analysis will reveal inconsistencies or deficiencies in details; in fact, the splendid twist with the appearance of Isabelle Huppert’s character comes a little latebut the truth is that the piece is entertaining and enjoyable, as the box office in France has confirmed.