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POLYMORPHOUSLY PERVERSE

Today's François Ozon film was

Les amants criminels / Criminal Lovers (2000)

in which Ozon takes on fairy tales (Hansel and Gretel) and iconic films such as Badlands, Bonny and Clyde, and any films that had frightening chases through the woods to say nothing of Disney epics such as Bambi (whew) and turns them on their head.

Two teenagers, unconsummated lovers, kill another boy who has been "bothering" or maybe raping the girl.

They run to the woods with their victim's body and get lost.

They come upon a cottage which they break into and start to take some food when the "ogre" returns.

He doesn't like being disturbed but he does like the boy and, as he imprisons them in his basement, he has his ways.

There are a lot of flashbacks to explain how these nice kids got where they are.

It is all in fun really and there are a lot of laugh out loud turns in the plot and in the denouement. These moments are essential to releasing the mounting tension. Sexual and violent.

Ozon has many many tricks up his sleeve. And some of those tricks are tried out in every film. The ambivalent sexuality. The coming of age. The satisfaction of base desires. The manipulation of others through lies (including the audience).

He is quite daring with it all. Perhaps this is why I admire him so.

I would be willing to see this one again. It is scary fun. And the young men are quite attractive to say nothing of the ogre who cleans up pretty well.

A 4 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films