After Swimming Pool became something of a surprise art house hit, the United States more or less went back to ignoring French filmmaker François Ozon, despite the fact he seemed to nearly double his output in the succeeding years. That seemed fair enough, since his output can indeed be pretty inconsistent. But after watching the trailer for Potiche, I'd like to point out that the guy at least deserves credit for audacity. After gaining international recognition for erotic thrillers, he went ahead and made a fairy tale about a flying baby (Ricky), and now, what appears to be a French version of Working Girl with Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu.
In this case, Deneuve plays a trophy wife takes over her chauvinistic husband's factory after he becomes ill and, surprise! She does a really good job! Especially when helping to design chic umbrellas apparently. Romance blossoms between Deneuve and Depardieu while her children hang out to add some comic relief. The film doesn't look like more than a well-mannered, colorful and mostly forgettable comedy with a positive 70's women's liberation spin. But does a French comedy with Deneuve and Depardieu really need to be anything else?
Verdict: Sure!