Mon Crime (François Ozon, 2023)
Mon Crime is a lighthearted comedy crime drama by versatile French filmmaker François Ozon.
François Ozon has long been one of my favorite European filmmakers. I can’t claim to have seen everything he has done, but at the moment my top-3 would probably consist of the mysterious drama Under The Sand (starring Charlotte Rampling), the sexy thriller Swimming Pool (a remake of La Piscine) and the romantic post-wartime drama Frantz (filmed in black-and-white). Tomorrow I could replace them with the moody thriller-drama In The House, the musical comedy 8 Femmes or the Hitchcockian thriller Double Lover.
I may be wrong, but I think that Ozon has reached the point that he can basically make any movie he wants, based on his name alone, and as long they don’t require Marvel-sized budgets.
I don’t have all the numbers, but I’m guessing that with a budget close to 14 million euros Mon Crime is probably Ozon’s most expensive movie to date.
It’s based on a play from 1934 by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil, which already spawned the American movies True Confession (1937) and its remake Cross My Heart (1946), and was adapted by Ozon for this day and age.
Mon Crime (‘The Crime is Mine’ or ‘My Crime’) tells the story of Madeleine Verdier, played by Nadia Tereszkiewicz. Madeleine is a penniless actress, who has a what we now call #metoo experience with a famous producer, but is later accused of his murder.
Fortunately, her roommate Pauline (Rebecca Marder) happens to be a lawyer. But instead of maintaining her innocence, Madeleine pleads guilty and gives Pauline the chance to get her off on a claim of necessary self-defense.
Both Madeleine and Pauline become more famous than they could have ever imagined, well, until something happens that casts doubt on everything that has gone on before.
The acting is terrific throughout, the main focus being on Tereszkiewicz’ doe-eyed but fierce Madeleine, while Marder’s Pauline is used a little more sparingly but immediately commands attention whenever she’s on screen.
The cast also includes a juicy supporting role by Isabelle Huppert as an older actress, who refuses to be forgotten, and an endearing one by Édouard Sulpice as Madeleine’s hapless boyfriend.
All the while Ozon asks pertinent questions about the position of women in society which were not only true one hundred years ago but still hold value today.
The movie is also about the machinations of fame and the way that celebrities and the media use each other to serve their own purpose.
Cinematography, art direction, costumes are all off the highest order, so the money is definitely on the screen.
While watching the movie I was reminded of earlier Ozon romps like Eight Women (2002) and Potiche (2010) and put together they make for a very fine trilogy.
If you’ve seen either of those two movies you should definitely see Mon Crime. If you haven’t, you should still see it.
Note: After some festival dates Mon Crime will be released in France on March 8 and in The Netherlands on March 16, with other countries to follow.