Throughout his career, François Ozon knew how to bring trouble, uncertainty and subversion into the bourgeois world, the better to break – or destroy – their codes.
In 25 years, he made 22 films – the 23rd is currently in preparation. A mind-boggling pace for a filmmaker who’s never short of ideas, oscillating between popular blockbusters – such is My Crime recently – and more intimate films.
The Netflix platform puts the director in the spotlight by offering five of his feature films. Five different works, designed for all sensibilities and dealing, each in its own way, with fascinating and sometimes taboo topics.
For starters, there’s Dans la Maison, a thriller released in 2012 starring Fabrice Luchin and Denis Menochet. This film tells the story of a young 16-year-old student who intervenes in the family life of a classmate in order to better find inspiration for his essays.
A huge success on release – more than a million admissions – Dans la maison highlights a young character whose depravity evokes figures featured in the classics of Alfred Hitchcock or Brian de Palma.
The following year, in 2013, François Ozon made one of his most sultry films: Jeune & Jolie. It tells the story of a 17-year-old high school girl who prostitutes herself for older men. Student prostitution is a real topic, but here the director changes the situation, because his hero does not offer his body for financial needs.
The result is a troubled drama directed by Marin Wakti, an actress who has come to light thanks to this role, which hypnotizes the audience with her mere screen presence.
A radical change of style with Franz, a historical drama released in 2016. Franz is the name of this soldier who died at the front during the First World War. His daughter-in-law visits his grave every day and one day crosses paths with a mysterious man named Adrien.
This film, which focuses on mysteries and is set in a difficult context, allows Pierre Nini to show a new, darker face. Franz is a black-and-white drama, as if it were part of the great tradition of dramas released in the 1940s.
Excellence in 2019 by the grace of God. This feature film allows François Ozon to tackle a controversial topic: the church’s silence in the face of sexual abuse of children. For this, the director follows the journey of three survivors, three men who will fight to make their voices heard.
Filmed secretly in Lyon to avoid any intimidation, Thank God is a powerful film that opens the debate on a still taboo subject. It allows three actors – Swann Arlaud, Dennis Menochetti and Melvil Poupaud – shone with their delicate interpretations with real emotions. Piece of art.
Finally, Summer 85, released in the summer of 2020, tells the story of a passionate romance between two teenagers in the eighties. François Ozon this time offers a film aimed at a young audience that deals with topics such as homosexuality, guilt and death.
We definitely think of Call Me by Your Name, which came out two years earlier, but also of Eric Romer’s cinema. Once again, François Ozon reveals two young actors here: Benjamin Voisin and Félix Lefebvre.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
