66. Potiche (Trophy wife)

I always try not to read others' reviews before writing my own as I find it makes me question my instinct about a film. Unfortunately it couldn't be avoided with Potiche, the DVD of which came plastered with the highest of praise (sample quote: "every moment is a delight") but by which my partner was vocally unimpressed. On top of that, four Frenchwomen I follow on Twitter coincidentally started discussing the film the very next day, calling it 'over hyped' and gentillet ('quite nice') at best. Unable to decide what to say (or indeed what I thought) about it, I ended up watching the whole thing again.

What is certain is that Potiche looks great. Set in 1977, it's a riot of flares, Farrah Fawcett flicks, oversized glasses and horribly patterned jumpers. And personally I couldn't resist the chance to see Catherine Deneuve channeling Sue Sylvester in a retro tracksuit. All the period details, including the music, are spot on.

Deneuve plays Suzanne, the 'trophy wife' of the title. She unexpectedly takes the reins of her philandering husband's umbrella factory when he falls ill, dealing with worker unrest with far more success than her spouse. Ozon's films tend to focus on women, and this is no exception – although Gérard Depardieu gets a look in as a local Communist politician and former lover of Suzanne's. The whole thing is kitsch and lightweight, with many amusing moments, and I enjoyed it while at the same time not really connecting with any of the characters. My partner's complaint was that it was clichéd, but I felt that this was a deliberate decision by Ozon given the backdrop of sexism, protests and so on.

Expecting every moment of this film to be a delight will probably set you up for disappointment. But put it on when you fancy a fun and undemanding watch and you might well enjoy the ride. I know I did.