Set in 1977 in a provincial French town, POTICHE is a free adaptation of the 1970s eponymous hit comic play. Catherine Deneuve is Suzanne Pujol, a submissive, housebound ‘trophy housewife’ (or “potiche,”) who steps in to manage her wealthy and tyrannical husband (Fabrice Lucchini)’s umbrella factory after the workers go on strike and take him hostage. To everyone’s surprise, Suzanne proves herself a competent and assertive woman of action. But when her husband returns from a restful cruise in top form, things get complicated. Gerard Depardieu plays a former union leader and Suzanne’s ex-beau who still holds a flame for her. Acclaimed writer-director Francois Ozon (“Swimming Pool,” “Under the Sand,” “Time to Leave,”) who had previously directed Ms. Deneuve in “8 Women,” twists the original play on its head to create his own satirical and hilarious take on the war between the sexes and classes. (Source)
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Set in a French bourgeois province in 1977, Suzanne is the submissive wife of rich industrialist Robert Pujol who runs his umbrella factory with an iron hand. After the workers go on strike and hold Robert captive, Suzanne ends up managing the factory instead of her husband, who is disowned by the staff. Distressed and in poor health, Robert goes away for a while and, to the surprise of most, Suzanne proves to be an assertive woman of action. With the help of the communist deputy she puts an end to the strike, gets the factory running again and improves the employees’ working conditions. But when Robert returns from his trip in good health, the situation gets complicated. (
Jeanne (Emilie Dequenne) lives in a house in the suburbs with her mother Louise (Catherine Deneuve). The two women get on well together. Louise earns her living by looking after children. Jeanne is half-heartedly looking for a job. Louise harbors the hope of getting her daughter a job with Samuel Bleistein (Michel Blanc), a famous lawyer whom she knew in her youth. Jeanne and Bleistein’s worlds are light years apart. However, they’ll be set on a collision course because of an incredible lie that Jeanne invents, a lie that grows into the biggest news and political story of the day. (
Follows a family who becomes increasingly contentious and dysfunctional until an ill relative brings them together over the holidays. (
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