François Ozon’s latest is nothing revolutionary, but provides a good, fun, time as it rolls through its ridiculous plot of a crime wrongly claimed, with charming performances from its leads.
★★★☆☆
It’s a story we’ve seen countless times, in both true crime stories and the glittering portrayals of fictional crimes in Hollywood. If there’s one thing the people love, it’s an unsuspecting female criminal. Whether it’s Roxy Hart in Chicago or Piper Chapman in Orange is the New Black, there is something about this category of women that causes a commotion. In his latest comedy, The Crime is Mine, French director François Ozon plays on the fascination and sensationalism tied to these women to tell the story of Madeleine Verdier (Nadia Tereszkiewicz). However, there’s something different about Madeleine: she didn’t commit the crime for which she’s acclaimed.
Madeleine is a young aspiring actress in the 1930s, living with her lawyer best friend Pauline (Rebecca Marder) in a one-bed Parisian flat that they can’t afford and yearning not just for a career in the theatre, but for the money that will allow her to marry her beau—tyre empire heir André Bonnard (Édouard Sulpice). After a sleazy theatre producer tries to seduce her, she is shaken. She is even more shaken when the body of said producer is found shot dead in his apartment shortly after she leaves and the local inspector (Régis Laspalès) suspects her of the murder. Desperate for money, and keenly aware of both the public’s interests and her own legal skills, Pauline encourages Madeleine to claim the crime as her own, leading to a highly publicised court case, and fame and wealth beyond her wildest dreams.
Much like the scheme that these two young women concoct, for the most part, The Crime is Mine works. However, it unravels further as more factors come into play—namely, the true murderer (Odette Chaumette, played by the legendary Isabelle Huppert) revealing herself. The film reaches its conclusion cleanly, but has significantly lost steam by the time it gets there. Ozon tries to present this as a tale of female empowerment and agency, and while there are certainly elements of that, it’s more so a silly, goofy comedy about white lies spiralling in the favour of two heroines who know how to play the game. Similarly, although it understands and plays into the inherent corruption of the legal system in favour of celebrity, it remains observational rather than insightful on these issues.
That’s not to say that it’s not a fun time—it’s full of laughs from start to finish. The film mixes the slapstick tendencies that mainstream French comedy is known for, best depicted here by the hapless Judge Rabusset (Fabrice Luchini), paired with a dry wit that is both dark and playful. One particular example comes early on in the film, in which Madeleine despairs, “Let’s just kill ourselves, it would be the kind thing to do”. After raising a pistol to her head, she is swiftly brought back from the edge by Pauline mentioning that she’s bought ham baguettes for them to eat for lunch.
It wouldn’t work however, without the central chemistry of its two leads, especially the doe-eyed purity of Tereszkiewiczas’s Madeleine. However, this purity is balanced with knowing smirks, a willingness to stoop low, and full commitment to the bit, with all the melodrama that entails. The ensemble cast , all add to the circus show that is The Crime is Mine, making a full family of chaotic parts. Huppert in particular takes great joy in playing off-piste to type, revelling in the heightened drama and glamour of failed silent movie star Odette.
One area in which the film struggles, something found in many contemporary period dramas, is that it never manages to feel truly immersed in its ‘30s setting—mainly due to being shot on digital, and employing thoroughly modern lighting styles. It tries to make up for it with some admittedly great costume design and music, but the mise-en-scene always feels at odds with itself in this regard. Production design is occasionally impressive, but at other times comes across wildly fake and tacky.
It’s a film that has highs and lows, but ultimately settles in the middle of the road. For a light afternoon watch, The Crime is Mine is perfect. For something with depth in the social commentary between the laughs, it would be better to turn elsewhere.
The Verdict
The Crime is Mine provides a good time, but not much else. Charming central performances, tongue-in-cheek comedy, and a great soundtrack help make it a worthwhile endeavour—or enough of one to make it worth considering watching.
The Crime is Mine is available to watch in UK and Irish cinemas from 18 October 2024.
Words by Rehana Nurmahi
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