His tremendous output makes François Ozon a phenomenon as well as his consistent (and sympathetic) refusal to commit to a certain genre. In the meantime there are 48 films where he directed and to which he often wrote the script himself. Since 1988 these have been a lot of short films, documentation and music videos as well as at least 23 movies. Comedies are often among them, but also melodramas, love stories and coming-of-age stories, often with queer references.
Most recently, Ozon's brilliantly occupied, flaky, light crime comedy “My Fabulous Crime” with Isabelle Huppert, Fabrice Luchini, Dany Boon and Nadia Tereszkiewicz came to German cinemas. This shows once more: What Ozons films often have in common is a certain playfulness – as if he has a thieving fun to feed his audience with various information and then mislead. Also “When autumn is approaching“It's such a big puzzle again-and at the same time a not everyday genre mix: what begins as a funny family history develops Peu à peu into a multi-layered criminal case.
Michelle (Hélène Vincent) and Marie Claude (Josiane Balasko) are best friends – with a passion for collecting mushrooms.
The focus of history is Michelle (Hélène Vincent), an lovable small town pensioner with a pretty house and a garden in which she grows her own vegetables. Her best friend Marie Claude (Josiane Balasko) lives right around the corner. The two women do a lot together, and Michelle also regularly chauffeers their girlfriend to the prison in which her son Vincent (Pierre Lottin) sits. Michelle, meanwhile, is looking forward to the fact that her twelve -year -old grandson Lucas (Garlan enlarged) will spend the autumn holidays with her. When her daughter Valérie (Ludivine Sagnier) arrives with him, everything is already prepared. But then there is an incident, mushroom poisoning, for which Michelle is apparently responsible.
Valérie travels Stocksauer with Lucas. Michelle is as inconsistent as Valérie is adamant. However, her daughter's decision is clear: Michelle is no longer allowed to see Lucas. The old lady is desperate. Soon Vincent will be released from prison and Michelle has an aged age. She offers Vincent a job, also because as an ex-Knacki in the provincial city, he has little chance of finding serious work. So Vincent Michelle helps with house and gardening for 15 euros. It does not fail to notice how bad Michelle is. This is how Vincent decides to see Valérie: he wants to ensure that she revised her decision. But then there is another incident …
The puzzle pieces are sprinkled from the start
At this point, nothing should be revealed about the plot. Just as much: it is under strict non -observance of any clichés about guilt, truth, morality and double standards, as well as the never -ending challenges that a family and friendship bring for everyone involved. The title is already ambiguous: the film not only plays in the meteorological autumn, but also in the autumn of life by Michelle and Marie Claude. Together they experienced a lot and stood through, but their common past only gradually reveals itself, although there are indications here and there at the beginning.
François Ozon distributes cleverly dosed details, which finally forms an overall picture that is anything but harmonious, but is precisely realistic. About as realistic as life itself, which generally rarely follows dramaturgical guidelines. Ozon counteracts the expectations of the audience with deliberately. Not only are the threads of action that are skillfully interwoven with each other, but also the actors and their characters.
With the release of Marie Claudes son Vincent (Pierre Lottin) there is another new dynamic in the film.
When Michelle shines Hélène Vincent (“Everything except ordinary”), one of the Grand Dame of the French Theater and Film, who worked in her more than 60-year career with many great director. At over 80, she can still shine like a young girl – full of innocence and joy. But it can also change completely within seconds. Then the just so brisk grandma suddenly seems in need of help and even a little confused. Slowly but surely it becomes clear that it keeps a lot to herself, which may not be better disclosed. And Hélène Vincent plays this very enjoyingly, she flirted with her age and with the stereotypes, and it increases the ambiguity of this criminal -inspired comedy, to which the film is gradually developing.
In Josiane Balasko (“praised God”) as Marie Claude, she finds her perfect partner: a best friend for horseplay, quick -witted, boyish and with dry humor. Pierre Lottin, who was able to celebrate a great success in “The quiet and the big tones”, makes Vincent an externally stable, but quite sensitive guy, which seems to be fulfilling the clichés of the typical jail brother and then casually counteracted. As a beastly daughter of Michelle, Ludivine Sagnier (“Napoleon”) may embody the greatest possible contrast to her amiable mother. And as the most recent family member, Garlan turns out to be out in the role of Lucas as a worthy grandson of his clever grandmother – especially when it comes to preserving secrets.
Conclusion: Wrapped into gentle autumn colors, the original story amazes with its basically deeply immoral basic attitude. But that is exactly what makes them as exciting – and at the same time at least as personable as the two wonderful leading actresses.