The Crime Is Mine, the latest project from François Ozon (Swimming Pool), is pure indulgent fun. Set in Paris in the 1930s, we meet two friends, struggling actress Madeleine (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) and unsuccessful lawyer Pauline (Rebecca Marder). They’re five months behind on rent for their cramped apartment, unlucky in love, and unemployed. However, when Madeleine rejects the advances of a lecherous producer shortly before he is found shot dead, she becomes the investigation’s prime suspect. Realizing they have a chance at fame and fortune, Madeleine and Pauline decide to have Madeleine confess to a crime she did not commit and take full advantage of the media circus surrounding the case.
Ozon worked with Philippe Piazzo on the screenplay, which updates a play by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil from the ’30s. The decision to maintain the original time setting of the play but adjust the story as seen fit for a modern audience is well-judged. Their reworking of the source material results in a fast-paced, funny, quasi-feminist story that feels connected toscrewball comedies of the pastwithout also seeming dated.
A Charming Blend of Old and New
Although it’s not preciselya murder mystery,The Crime Is Minefollows similar trappings of the classic genre, but it’s much more focused on the central pair than on the bumbling detectives. The dialogue is rapid-fire and comically melodramatic, exactly what you would want and expect from the movie’s appearance. Madeleine is courted by the heir to a tire fortune; when Pauline suggests she go to him for rent money, she responds, “His rich father is stingy,” and that he doesn’t have his own money because “work bores him.”
Shortly after, when the gentleman caller in question has revealed that he has decided to marry rich in order to pay off his gambling debts, Madeleine is melodramatically forlorn. She humorously stands with her pistol to her head but snaps out of it when Pauline provides her with a sandwich. Later, when Pauline asks her how she feels about her life, Madeleine answers, “There’s nothing like success to bring joy back.” These moments, while funny in and of themselves, are elevated to a greater level by the chemistry and timing between the actors. It’s impossible to doubt that they aren’t long-time best friends.
Not only is the dialogue perfectly pitched, but so are the rest of the movie’s stylistic choices. From the period costuming to the physical comedy and the reenactment scenes during the trial, everything meshes wonderfully together. The latter of which is a particular joy. Each time a new scenario is proposed for what happened, we get a melodramatic silent-film-style vignette of the suggested scene — Tereszkiewicz clearly has fun doing these and that enjoyment is infectious. The physical performances are also particularly significant here, given the silent nature of the scenes. The variety in acting and visual styles retains the audience’s focus and allows for even more playfulness from the actors.
Subversive Approach to Rivalry and Romance
When first presented with Madeleine and Pauline, it’s easy to assume they will be pitted against each other in some way, but that is not the case. Being blonde and brunette, creative and logical, and the fact that Pauline mentions people always paying more attention to Madeleine, thepair of friendsare perfect fodder for a jealous rivalry. Instead, they always have each other’s backs, doing everything together. It’s enormously refreshing to seeThe Crime Is Mineskirting the easy route and instead opting for connection and loyalty.
Moreover, the movie is laden with lesbian subtext. Pauline is notably unattached to a man, which contrasts starkly with Madeleine. She consistently gives Madeleine longing glances, most clearly when Madeleine gets out of the bath that the two had been sharing. The potential for romance between Madeleine and Pauline is also brought up during the trial, though in an accusatory way. Later, when Isabelle Huppert’s character enters the action, she and Pauline flirt consistently, and this is explicitly acknowledged within the story.
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The Crime Is Minedoesn’t give much time to romance though, even between Madeleine and her boyfriend, who is treated as comedic. Therefore, the fact that Pauline’s sexuality is never addressed head-on makes sense. It lies somewhere between being hidden or encoded and being an overt component of her character’s arc. While some may take issue with the lack of prominence to this thread of the story, the reality is it’s often much more fun to pick up on these things yourself rather than just having a character announce it in words. Her sexuality is present, but it’s more of an extra treat for those who are looking for it, with physical cues being the primary vehicle for its depiction. This is part of what makes Marder’s work so impressive, emphasizing thesignificance of the physical performanceshere.
Isabelle Huppert Having the Time of Her Life
As mentioned, the legendary,iconic Isabelle Huppertmakes an appearance in the third act of the movie. She plays Odette Chaumette (a perfect name), an actress who was famous in the silent era of movies, but Madeleine informs Pauline that she never made the transition to talkies. Just when there could have been a lull in the story, Huppert shows up to steal the show — she is flamboyant, fabulous, and feisty. Just like everyone else in the movie, she seems to be having a ball playing such a silly, camp character.The Crime Is Minewas already hugely fun, but this role from Huppert seals the deal.
Is There More to It?
With that being said, is there anything underneath the humor and style? There is certainly space to read into the way trials are sensationalized and how absurd our culture’strue crime obsessionis. Crowds show up in droves to watch Madeleine’s trial, and she even gives her closing statement to the women in the crowd rather than the members of the jury. She and Pauline are able to feed into the fervor around the trial to get exactly what they want, but is this a good thing?
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At the same time, there is clearly supposed to be a feminist edge to the movie, with Madeleine’s defense being based on the fact that the murdered producer had been attempting to assault her. It’s easy to root for the two charming women, and Madeleine profiting off the death of such a wretch is definitely enjoyable. However, the media circus is the reason that this was able to happen; it was necessary for the public to get involved. This puts the two readings in opposition. Ultimately, the movie exists in a different reality. One where women are celebrated for defending themselves rather than criminalized, belittled, and further abused for it. So perhaps attempting to get a real-world application out of the proceedings is futile.
In the end,The Crime Is Mineis simply tremendous fun. Everyone is at the top of their game, with the script, performances, and visual style coming together to create a movie that is equally enjoyable for the eyes and the ears. From Music Box Films, catch the movie in select theaters from December 25th.
