8 Women (8 Femmes) (2002)
82%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 11 wins & 31 nominations
8 Women is a delightful and whimsical film that showcases the talents of some of France’s most accomplished actresses. While some critics may find fault with the film’s artificiality, it is precisely this quality that makes it so charming and enjoyable. The witty writing and six hilariously inappropriate song-and-dance numbers add to the film’s exuberance, making it a true showcase for the leading ladies of French cinema. An Agatha Christie drawing room mystery crossed with the melodrama of Douglas Sirk and the musicality of Jacques Demy, 8 Women is a confectioner’s treat that is sure to leave audiences feeling pure joy.
If you’re looking for a movie that’s equal parts murder mystery and musical, then 8 Women is the perfect film for you. With an all-star cast of French actresses, this movie is a feast for the eyes and ears. Sure, the plot might be a bit ridiculous, but that’s part of the charm. Plus, who doesn’t love a good lesbian subtext and inappropriate song-and-dance numbers? It’s like Agatha Christie meets Douglas Sirk meets Jacques Demy, with a dash of Aaron Spelling thrown in for good measure. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the sheer exuberance of this delightful film.
Production Company(ies)
Power Pictures, 2002 Ltd., Bórd Scannán na hÉireann Nederlandse Programma Stichting
Distributor
BIM Distribuzione, Mars Distribution, UGC-Fox Distribution, Argentina Video Home, Focus Features
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some sexual content
Year of Release
2002
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 48m
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Language(s):French, English
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Country of origin:France, Italy
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 20, 2002 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 11, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy/Musical
Keyword(s)
starring Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Béart, Fanny Ardant, Virginie Ledoyen, Danielle Darrieux, directed by François Ozon, written by François Ozon, Marina de Van, Robert Thomas, produced by Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier, genre: Comedy, Musical, MPAA rating: R, box office performance: $3.1M, budget: N/A, reviewed by Richard Corliss, J Hoberman, Scott Tobias, Joe Morgenstern, Jack Mathews, J R Jones, Todd Anthony, Erin Podolsky, Michael Sragow, Leah Rozen, Emanuel Levy, Michael Dequina
Worldwide gross: $42,426,583
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $70,367,143
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,192
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 7,673,625
US/Canada gross: $3,098,776
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,139,514
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,805
US/Canada opening weekend: $52,489
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $87,056
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,992
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): 8000000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $13,268,501
Production budget ranking: 1,554
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $7,145,088
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $49,953,555
ROI to date (est.): 245%
ROI ranking: 540
Isabelle Huppert – Augustine
Emmanuelle Béart – Louise
Fanny Ardant – Pierrette
Virginie Ledoyen – Suzon
Danielle Darrieux – Mamy
François Ozon – Director
Olivier Delbosc – Producer
Marc Missonnier – Producer
François Ozon – Writer
Marina de Van – Writer
Robert Thomas – Writer
Director(s)
François Ozon
Writer(s)
François Ozon, Marina de Van, Robert Thomas
Producer(s)
Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier
Film Festivals
Berlin
Awards & Nominations
11 wins & 31 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (124) | Top Critics (48) | Fresh (98) | Rotten (26)
Seduction is more important than deduction in this chic display of star quality to the eighth power.
December 9, 2013
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
For all the tumultuous entrances and flouncing exits, the eight principals manage maybe three laughs among them.
December 9, 2013
J. Hoberman
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
A note of genuine sadness sneaks through at the end, but for the most part, enjoying 8 Women involves coming to terms with its artificiality and learning to appreciate it from a distance. Behind all that thick glass, it’s still a work of art.
December 9, 2013
Scott Tobias
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
The cast is the main attraction in Francois Ozon’s witty, even touching 8 Women.
December 9, 2013
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
The writing is very clever and it is a hoot watching the celebrated cast ham it up.
December 9, 2013
Jack Mathews
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
The French screen royalty assembled by Ozon and the film’s sheer exuberance in its own artifice make this a delight from beginning to end.
December 4, 2012
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The film weaves visual elegance, lesbian subtext, six hilariously inappropriate song-and-dance numbers and a flair for chiffon into a showcase for leading ladies of French cinema past and present.
December 9, 2013
Todd Anthony
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A dubious proposition for the Francophobic, but it acquits itself with a script so ridiculous that it can’t help but be engaging.
December 9, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
Erin Podolsky
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
8 Women is meant to be a sampler with the likes of Deneuve, Darrieux, Huppert, Ardant and Beart as its treats. But the confectioner has arrived at pretty poison.
December 9, 2013 | Rating: 1.5/4
Michael Sragow
Baltimore Sun
Pure joy. That’s what you will feel as you float out of the theater after seeing this wacky musical whodunit starring several of France’s most accomplished and best known actresses.
December 9, 2013
Leah Rozen
People Magazine
January 7, 2013 | Rating: B+
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
An Agatha Christie drawing room mystery crossed with the ’50s setting and melodrama of Douglas Sirk crossed with the musicality of Jacques Demy with some Aaron Spelling bitchery thrown in for good measure.
December 28, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com…
Plot
One morning at an isolated mansion in the snowy countryside of 1950s France, a family is gathered for the holiday season. But there will be no celebration at all because their beloved patriarch has been murdered! The killer can only be one of the eight women closest to the man of the house. Was it his powerful wife? His spinster sister-in-law? His miserly mother-in-law? Maybe the insolent chambermaid or the loyal housekeeper? Could it possibly have been one of his two young daughters? A surprise visit from the victim’s chic sister sends the household into a tizzy, encouraging hysterics, exacerbating rivalries, and encompassing musical interludes. Comedic situations arise with the revelations of dark family secrets. Seduction dances with betrayal. The mystery of the female psyche is revealed. There are eight women and each is a suspect. Each has a motive. Each has a secret. Beautiful, tempestuous, intelligent, sensual, and dangerous…one of them is guilty. Which one is it?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features some of the best French actresses working today, including Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, and Emmanuelle Béart.
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