Dans La Maison (In The House) (2012)

It all begins innocuously, in a Literature class, after Professor Germain Germain (Fabrice Luchini) asks his students to write an essay on how they spent their weekend. Most of the essays submitted are completely worthless and lacking any kind of creativity, but one particular write-up catches Germain's eye. Claude Garcia (Ernst Umhauer), a relatively bright 16-year old, describes in a rather enticing manner, a weekend visit to his best friend Rapha's house to help him with his Math.

The description turns out to be much more sensational than mundane, as the writer expresses his somewhat unsavoury desires to explore the house further, and dig deeper into its inhabitants, the characters of his essay, especially Rapha's beautiful mother, Esther (Emanuelle Seigner) who is at the center of Claude's voyeuristic gaze.

Claude's essay ends with a suspenseful 'to be continued' remark, and raises the curiosity of not only the professor but also his art-dealer wife, Jeanne (Kristin Scott Thomas). Before they know it, they are hooked; like soap opera or reality show addicts!

Germain, guided by his wife's penchant for substance, prods Claude to write succeeding chapters, claiming that he has great writing talent and should cultivate it by continuing this family drama in a novel format. Of course, continuing the story would mean more visits to Rapha's house. As Claude turns in daily chapters, developing the story into a fascinating family yarn, sometimes of a scandalous nature, Germain and Jeanne take vicarious pleasure in a reality show they cannot see. Only it is soon too late, when things start to get out of control not only in Rapha's household but also in Germain's life at the cost of building a great story!

François Ozon's "Dans La Maison" or "In the House" (2012) plays out in a rather farcical fashion, like a breezy comedy for the most part, but Ozon succeeds in conveying certain pertinent themes, and raises several questions about the human consumption of sensationalism and the inherent existence of a voyeur in practically every human being despite their hypocritical denial. He makes us muse about human curiosity in general, and the undeniable fact that people do find an intrigue in the lives of others, more importantly when there are downs rather than ups in them! After all who is interested in monotony? It is only when there are ripples, that notice is taken.

Ozon examines a consumer's never ending hunger for something outlandish, by subtly blurring the line between the guide and the guided, the manipulator and the manipulated, as they appear to switch places. Whilst Germain is guiding Claude to build his narrative, he in turn becomes a slave to Claude's writing, often becoming dependent on it, and even compromising his ethics when it threatens to come to an end. Further blurred is the line between fiction and reality, for we see events only from Claude's perspective as he narrates the words in his write-ups. But how much of it is real and how much is made up, is largely unknown, partly because we do see an instance of a modified event, reshaped at the behest of Germain himself, on the pretext of pleasing the reader.

A notable parallel subplot involves Jeanne's art gallery and her desperate struggle to keep it afloat and save it from shutting down by having the best of exhibits and boosting sales. She keeps bringing new artworks and seeks Germain's opinions on them, who often comments about whether a particular art form will sell or not. An important reading to be made here is about art for the sake of art and its viability for commercialism. The credibility of an artwork is decided on its marketability and in this regard, Germain always seems to care about an art piece only if he thinks it will sell.

Germain's sentiments are more or less in the same vein when guiding Claude with his novella, except in this case, he claims he is doing it to groom a literary genius, a budding writer; something that he couldn't become, with only a failed romantic novel to his credit. And yet, it is clear as much to the viewer, that he is indeed, more driven by the voyeuristic consumer inside him, for he tastes blood in Claude's sensational story. Only when the sensationalism appears to go way out of hand, he makes a very smart remark invoking the great Italian auteur Pier Paolo Pasolini, one which is certain to bring a smile on the faces of the fans of "Teorema" (1968).

The main theme is reflected in an important sequence by means of an offbeat artwork that Jeanne demonstrates; an audio artwork. The artist verbally describes the artwork and the listener is allowed to (re)create it with his/her interpretation or imagination of the artist's intention. It pretty much mirrors the essence of reading a novel and the very activity Germain is involved in with Claude. Claude writes, and Germain creates a mental picture of Rapha's family in his mind!

Ozon goes on to have some fun himself with the narrative device, and demonstrates the power of cinema and how the medium can be manipulated to suit viewer expectations and requirements. Just as Prof. Germain alters certain events in Claude's writings to meet reader expectations, Ozon toys around with absurdity, creating very interesting meta-moments in which he places Germain himself at the very heart of the action, in the house, which is the center of Claude's beguiling story. It is a very intricately constructed, meticulous screenplay which pays a fitting homage to Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" (1954), one of the earliest cinematic depictions of voyeurism.

Despite the delicious oddities, originality and intelligence that "In the House" certainly possesses, it does feel like Ozon somehow refrains from pushing the envelope. The narrative seems restrained and appears to become stagnant and just slightly monotonous after a point. Furthermore, in the process of providing an ending, much like Claude in the film, Ozon takes some abruptly clumsy turns that fail to convince.

Ozon has made better films than "In the House", but there is no doubt that this is one of the most unique and premium offerings in his filmography. 

Score: 8/10

See the Sea (Regarde La Mer) (1997)

Maverick French director François Ozon really knows his art exceedingly well and makes storytelling via the medium of cinema seem so effortless, it makes one's jaw drop. Trust Ozon to make something out of near-nothingness and keep the audience glued to the screen for whatever run-time. So just when you think you can't get much out of a 50 odd minutes film with just two central characters, you find yourself hooked from the opening frame as Ozon's gripping story unfolds in an astonishingly fluid manner.

And what material does Ozon work with? Just two women as the central characters, a little baby of 10 months and a setting of a limited radius in and around a house near an idyllic, isolated beach location. No, as much as this description may somewhat remind you of Ingmar Bergman's psychological drama masterpiece "Persona", lay your doubts to rest. There is nothing mind-bending or abstract about it; just an overwhelming sense of tension, pure and simple! It wouldn't be wrong to say, that Ozon's film is more in the Hitchcockian thriller territory, but with a touch of classic French minimalism.

An English woman Sasha (Sasha Hails) tries to cope with a near lonely life with her 10 month old wailing daughter at her house by the beach. Ozon makes us familiar with the area of her residence, and pleases us with nice sights of a near private, clean beach, and blades of grass swaying in the pleasant breeze against a soothing score that sporadically appears amidst diegetic sounds. Sasha's husband is away to Paris on business and phone calls made to him mostly go unanswered. She seems to be bored, not surprisingly. Some other scenes indicate that she is in desperate need of sex! There are also indications that although terribly in love with her baby, Sasha is slightly hassled by the baby's constant need of attention.

The baby doesn't let Sasha read nor does she let her sleep in peace. She just barely manages to catch a wink at the beach whilst sunbathing. It is a wonder on Ozon's part how the baby's natural reactions and movements were captured at apt moments. Baby Samantha is extremely cherubic and adorable, and it is difficult to imagine the kind of effort it must have taken to make her act, not in the traditional sense, but as per the demand of the scene. 

With all this battling with baby care and boredom, a possible antidote to her loneliness knocks in the form of the deadpan backpacker Tatiana (Marina de Van) in search of a place to rig her tent up. Initially reluctant, but perhaps somewhat enticed upon hearing that Tatiana worked as a nanny, Sasha lets her use her huge yard. It is a matter of time before she lets Tatiana enter her home, dine with her and use her bathroom. 

However, it becomes all too obvious that something is amiss with this seemingly innocuous backpacker who assertively declares that she can't stick around in one place for more than four days and likes to move about. Tatiana is portrayed by Marina de Van, in a casting choice that couldn't have been more perfect. With an expressionless face, but creepy eyes, she seems anything but friendly, looks-wise! In some awesomely executed conversation scenes at the table, a lot becomes apparent about the personalities of the two women. 

The audience doesn't know just yet where the story is heading, but a spark of slight unrest certainly makes its way in the scene when Tatiana makes her presence felt. Sure enough, it takes shape in the fantastic exchange between the two at dinner. Sasha asks her about her wandering ways: "Are you never scared to travel alone?". Tatiana very coolly shakes her head and replies, "I do the scaring". 

Sasha quickly embraces Tatiana, despite her odd mannerisms and scatological tendencies, which are not initially apparent to her but us unsuspecting audiences are made privy to, in one shockingly revolting scene. Despite her not-so-friendly appearance, Tatiana seems to gel well with the baby and that makes Sasha much more comfortable. As the comfort grows, the camera placements get increasingly claustrophobic and uncomfortable. For instance, in the last third, in a particularly brazen conversation about child birth, the entire frame occupies the close-ups of the two women's faces alternately in dim lighting. Marina de Van's face looks doubly scary here, with those thick eyebrows and menacing eyes.

Little by little, Ozon makes us more acquainted with his characters. We are shown what kind of a mother and wife Sasha is, and while he paints a very disturbing picture of the kind of personality Tatiana is, it is still not apparent what could possibly shape up next. There lies the key that Ozon holds, the key to the door that won't open until the very end, yet no tangible clue is delivered about the outcome either. We lie in wait for something terrible to happen; because that much we know, what with such a malevolent individual making her way into the house, not everything is going to remain hunky dory really. Only it is difficult to predict what Tatiana is really up to. This state of unsettling suspension, the minutes of nail-biting suspense that seem like hours resulting from the impatience before the actual occurrence is what keeps us on the edge.

Sure enough, with the steady build-up, the culmination manages to create that jolt as it should, but Ozon being Ozon, mixes the storm in the end with the serene calm of a view of the waters and hardly any sense of panic. Brilliant!

Score: 9/10

Jeune & Jolie (2013)

***NOTE: The following analysis/review may contain MILD SPOILERS regarding some detail in the film, but not to the extent of making the film viewing experience any lesser.***

So this time François Ozon ventures into the familiar terrain of an ordinary, bourgeois female protagonist's descent into prostitution. While the most popular film on the subject was the great Luis Bunuel's subversive, "Belle De Jour" (1967), a surreal fantasy of a married woman's foray into the business stemming from sheer curiosity and as an awakening and outlet for her repressed sexuality, Ozon's "Young & Beautiful" aka "Jeune & Jolie" (2013) is a horse of a significantly different colour.

Ozon's film chronicles the odyssey of the protagonist, a 17 year old comely, pretty young thing Isabelle (Marine Vacth), right from her deflowering to her subsequent flowering into the world of carnal pleasure and a sense of independence and power that she experiences. The story unfolds over four seasons starting with her summer holidays during which she first experiences freedom by losing her virginity to a handsome young German guy. 

Behold the scene on the beach at night when Isabelle gives herself to Felix (Lucas Prisor) but appears to be lost and distracted. She stares at a distance and finds her own self looking back at her. Perhaps it is guilt or the feeling of a loss of innocence; her own innocent self, cut away from her, looking at her with remorseful eyes. Or maybe it could mean that she has lost herself and feels like a changed person, distant from her own self! For the few seconds that she drifts away, all sound is drowned out until she snaps back to reality at the end of the act.

It is hardly in a steady progression that we witness Isabelle's transition to prostitution, as almost in the next instant after her summer vacation and a first sexual experience that leaves her cold, we see her knocking on the door of a client somewhere in the city! She doesn't need the money. She has enough. We later learn it is part of some whim; an experimentation. An experiment that could prove to be dangerous but she decides to play with fire anyway. Her adolescent mind doesn't think it to be that big a deal. In no time it becomes an addiction. She becomes a sought after internet call girl. 300 euros for a single romp with much older men becomes an easy-peasy task.

She gets all kinds of customers. Some are downright kinky and even stingy with payments. Some adventures are unabashed and rough, others are laced with moments of tender affection, particularly with one much older, wrinkled client (Johan Leysen). Almost in a blink of an eye Isabelle slips into a comfort zone. Moral values and consequences of being discovered be damned, she reaches a stage where she doesn't have any qualms about her actions and all these things don't seem to matter. 

There appears to be a shift in the very idea of virtuousness not purely from a moral standpoint; that is still secondary, but even from a pragmatic perspective considering risks involved for her as well as her family. After all, hers is a young and vulnerable mind; less reasonable and more adventurous! She is clearly unaware of the potential danger she may be putting herself and her family in, considering she doesn't have a pimp to arrange clients for her, nor does she have any idea of what kind of shady client she may be facing. A general insensitivity and lack of inhibitory factors moulds our protagonist in a manner as to not be bothered by concerns such as these.

The casual atmosphere at home doesn't help much either, with a stepfather (Frédéric Pierrot) who seems slightly slow and unaffected by matters, still tries to hold things together. A younger brother (Fantin Ravat) just entering his teens, who has rather candid talks with his older sister about sexuality, even spies at her from a distance as she sunbathes topless on the beach, albeit, probably only out of curiosity. 

A mother (Géraldine Pailhas) who may have had a troubled teenage herself, but doesn't exercise much control or is perhaps just too confident and full of trust for her daughter, and oblivious to what a completely free hand can do to a fragile mind. This is a culture where no one bolts the doors of their bedrooms or bathrooms from inside, and the baffled stepfather unwittingly keeps barging in at all wrong timings, leading to some awkward moments!

After the eventual, inevitable discovery of her double life by her family, all hell threatens to break loose, but doesn't quite. In fact, after an initial outburst, things settle down as quickly as they are stirred up. The cat is let out of the bag owing to an unfortunate incident with one of Isabelle's regular clients, and her mother regrets and questions herself "Where did I go wrong?", but she could be having an affair herself! Although there are upsets, soon enough measures are taken to make amends and there are chances given at redemption. Very subtle, restrained handling makes this film one up from the rest of the crowd as Ozon saves his film from spiraling down into unwanted melodrama.

Marine Vacth delivers a performance for the ages.  Only her nuanced and ambiguous expressions sometimes border on the inert and rarely convey a clear emotion and hence her act could be easily misunderstood to be inadequate. However, the crux of Ozon's film is very much her lack of clarity surrounding the ease at which she treads into dangerous grounds. Although somewhat provocative, Ozon manages to keep things grounded with his crisp, assured storytelling and arresting images captured with tremendous beauty by Pascal Marti.

Post the incident "Jeune & Jolie" veers toward some more ambiguities albeit with larger happenings hinting at a nice, neat wrap-up. But just as we near the end, Ozon throws in a surprise with a delicious climax featuring a splendid cameo by the ever elegant Charlotte Rampling. It is stuff like this that reinforces our faith in intelligent, independent cinema.

Score: 9/10