Release Date:
Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Like most foreign directors, Francois Ozon has been labeled as creative/innovative/smelly, and he tries to live up to the hype. But a story hinging on a twist that doesnt materialize until the endand isnt worth the waitmakes for a perfectly average movie.
When English mystery novelist Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) heads to her publishers French vacation home for some peace and quiet, and to work on another cash-cow novel, her publishers frisky daughter, Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), arrives soon thereafter, disrupting the Zen-like atmosphere. But its how she does it that provides our deep-seated interest in her character and informs us that theres nothing else going on in this movie. Evidently, Julie has an aversion to clothing. She also lines up a slew of houseguests with whom she likes to share her love throughout the house in any room at any time at any volume. But no matter how many gratuitous, topless shots we get of gorgeous Julie, the cumbersome dialogue and absent action grow tiresome before the movie gives us another reason to pay attention. If you cant make out enough soft-core porn through your scrambled Cinemax feed, jump on in. Otherwise, a cold shower will do.
When English mystery novelist Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) heads to her publishers French vacation home for some peace and quiet, and to work on another cash-cow novel, her publishers frisky daughter, Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), arrives soon thereafter, disrupting the Zen-like atmosphere. But its how she does it that provides our deep-seated interest in her character and informs us that theres nothing else going on in this movie. Evidently, Julie has an aversion to clothing. She also lines up a slew of houseguests with whom she likes to share her love throughout the house in any room at any time at any volume. But no matter how many gratuitous, topless shots we get of gorgeous Julie, the cumbersome dialogue and absent action grow tiresome before the movie gives us another reason to pay attention. If you cant make out enough soft-core porn through your scrambled Cinemax feed, jump on in. Otherwise, a cold shower will do.