With films such as "8 Women", "Swimming Pool", "The Time That Remains" and "Return to the Sea", François Ozon has consistently proven himself to be an extremely versatile filmmaker in recent years, at home in drama and romance as well as comedy. With "The Jewel", a free adaptation of the play by Barillet et Gredy, Ozon, after several dramas, now tries his hand again at a comedic material that takes a satirical look at the patriarchal society of the seventies on the one hand, and the modern political circus on the other.
The year is 1977, and Madame Suzanne (Catherine Deneuve) is not really happy as the wife of the imperious umbrella manufacturer Robert Pujol (Fabrice Luchini). Rather, she feels like a decorative trinket that has no function other than to look pretty. Her husband hasn't really cared for her lovingly for a long time. He prefers to save his energies for his mistress (Karin Viard) and the exploitation of his employees. But when Pujol suffers a heart attack just in time for his employees' impending industrial action, the tide turns. For now Madame Suzanne takes over and, also with the help of her son Laurent (Jeremie Renier) and Monsieur Babin (Gérard Depardieu), the deputy of the communist party, brings a breath of fresh air into the company. The workers, as well as the customers, are delighted, but Robert admittedly can't take it lying down that a woman, of all people, should be the better boss.
The 70s set and matching soundtrack are absolutely perfectly realized. There's also no question that the actors here were clearly having fun. But what ultimately gets in the way of the "Schmuckstück" is the completely over-the-top and therefore arguably artificial humour, which is supposed to be charming, but in the long run is just annoying. What still worked in the comedies of Louis de Funes, for example, seems here simply put on and strained. Especially in the first minutes "The Jewel" seems more like a hectically staged play and less like the biting satire, to which the story itself would have absolutely had the stuff.
Now that's not to say that the film isn't funny and charming. It's just the moments when Madame Suzanne is promoted to boss and Robert is condemned to being a househusband that make for extremely good humor. And especially the play of Fabrice Luchini ("The Girl from Monaco"), marked by sexist arrogance, is always good for a laugh. Still, in the end, you're left with the unpleasant feeling that Ozon was just trying too doggedly here to be funny, satirical and nostalgic all at the same time. Because in the end, "The Jewel"is just too much of a good thing.
Who doesn't mind the overdone staging with the hectic-comic behaviour of the actors, will probably be entertained - provided there is a soft spot for French comedies anyway. For all others, however, this colorful battle of the sexes could quickly get on their nerves. Therefore: only conditionally worth seeing!
Ein Artikel von Frankfurt-Tipp
