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POTICHEMovie Reviews
French language comedy set in 1977 about a trophy wife who steps into her husband's shoes to run his umbrella factory when his workers go on strike to protest terrible working conditions. Cast:Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Judith GodrëcheDirector:François OzonRelease Date:March 25, 2011DVD Release:July 19, 2011From:Music Box FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr 43 min
Potiche played in key cities to good reviews. • Rene Rodriguez wrote in the Miami Herald, "The film’s main draw is old-fashioned star power — particularly that of the luminescent Catherine Deneuve..." • And Curt Holman wrote in Atlanta Creative Loafing, "...floats along so airily its toes scarcely touch the ground, and without Catherine Deneuve's charms would dissipate altogether, like a perfume cloud." More Reviews Below...
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...playful... There's ticklish amusement in the sight of Catherine Deneuve going all retro while her chauvinist pig of a husband paws his secretary at his umbrella factory."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 258 words, 03/25/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...it's sweet comedy... Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu, who bring so much history to the screen, seem to create it by their very natures."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 633 words, 04/15/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...reasonably good fun... there are at least two perfectly defensible reasons to see it: Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 852 words, 03/25/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...a glossy throwback made with a modern eye, an old-fashioned romantic fantasy... that's been knowingly updated with tart, contemporary touches."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 598 words, 03/25/11
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...a disappointment.... there's no denying that it is enjoyable, if forgettable. But it's a shame that the talents of Deneuve and Depardieu are wasted on froth."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 03/25/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...very 'Touch of Class' and 'House Calls' in its comic vibe and trappings, and if you're old enough to remember those Glenda Jackson rom-coms, you'll probably respond favorably..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 486 words, 04/15/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...it's sweet comedy... Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu, who bring so much history to the screen, seem to create it by their very natures."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 633 words, 04/15/11
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...camp screwball fizziness gives way to a surprisingly cogent feminist parable, in which the personal proves again and again to be the most volatile variable in the political."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 03/23/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a daft feather-light French farce... designed to remind us of just how far and how fast women have come in the Western world."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 04/02/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sharp, nutty infidelity farce with casual jokes about incest and abortion that no stateside comedy would dare include."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 04/29/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a bright, absurdly kitschy early-1970s costume party that director François Ozon has created in order to... Actually, it's not clear why he created it."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 506 words, 04/08/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "This isn't just a film set in the '70s. It feels like a '70s film we're only now getting to see.... And it's great to make its acquaintance."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 517 words, 03/25/11
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD(cg) "The best way to describe 'Potiche' is breezy. It's a film so light that it might float off the screen and drift into the next theater. Ozon must have taken a happy pill."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 363 words, 04/29/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "If this sounds like cheesy melodrama, that's exactly how director Francois Ozon ('Swimming Pool,' '8 Women') wants it."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 217 words, 04/22/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The plot is a piffle but Ozon's presentation is gloriously romantic -- we're constantly reminded of Deneuve's freely spirited turn in 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 331 words, 04/28/11
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "The film's main draw is old-fashioned star power -- particularly that of the luminescent Catherine Deneuve, whose screen aura only burns brighter with every passing year."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 484 words, 03/04/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...camp screwball fizziness gives way to a surprisingly cogent feminist parable, in which the personal proves again and again to be the most volatile variable in the political."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 03/23/11
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a pastiche, a hodge-podge... Gérard Depardieu wallows about in the role of the Communist mayor with a dodgy past, but Deneuve's aplomb holds it all together."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 169 words, 04/07/11
Noel Murray, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...returns director François Ozon to the colorful, energetic retro-homage of his musical '8 Women,' and it's his most purely enjoyable movie in nearly a decade."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 03/24/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: GOOD(cg) "...might alternately buoy you and wear you down -- I've seen the movie twice, and both times I've stumbled out thinking, 'Now that wasn't so bad!' "(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 672 words, 03/24/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...floats along so airily its toes scarcely touch the ground, and without Catherine Deneuve's charms would dissipate altogether, like a perfume cloud."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 04/15/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...reasonably good fun... there are at least two perfectly defensible reasons to see it: Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 852 words, 03/25/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...a glossy throwback made with a modern eye, an old-fashioned romantic fantasy... that's been knowingly updated with tart, contemporary touches."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 598 words, 03/25/11
Boyd Van Hoeij, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...sparkling... occasionally side-splitting... ranks among Catherine Deneuve's best roles in at least a decade... She carries the whole movie here with grace..."(See all of Boyd Van Hoeij's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 877 words, 09/04/10
Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...has plenty of contemporary sparkle and life, courtesy of a masterful central performance by grande dame Catherine Deneuve..."(See all of Deborah Young's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 10/15/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...a glossy throwback made with a modern eye, an old-fashioned romantic fantasy... that's been knowingly updated with tart, contemporary touches."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 598 words, 03/25/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "Deneuve shines as the housewife-matriarch who learns how to rise to the occasion, and Depardieu has some excellent moments as the Marxist mayor..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 12/27/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...reasonably good fun... there are at least two perfectly defensible reasons to see it: Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 852 words, 03/25/11
10.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Potiche's reviews are separated by an average 10.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Potiche (39 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Potiche's reviews cover 43.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 16,944 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 434 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 6 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Potiche's reviews on average broke 6 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Potiche's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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