How Long Is “Potiche”?

A trophy wife proves capable of much more than acting as an adornment for her egotistical husband in director François Ozon's adaptation of the hit play by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Grédy. Saint-Guénolé, France: 1977. Their children having long since grown up and moved out, submissive housewife Suzanne Pujol (Catherine Deneuve) spends most of her days catering to her ornery husband, Robert (Fabrice Luchini), the owner of his family's prosperous umbrella factory. But Robert is hardly a savvy businessman, so when his workers protest their poor working conditions by going on strike, the stress leads him to suffer a massive heart attack. This provides Suzanne with the perfect opportunity to finally show her true value, and with a little help from the mayor (and her former lover), Maurice Babin (Gérard Depardieu), the much ridiculed trophy wife manages to get the factory back up and running so efficiently that the exasperated, trash-talking workers are forced to eat their words. Later, Robert makes a full recovery, and resorts to some decidedly unethical tactics to wrestle back control of the factory. But Robert's hasty grab for power sparks a bitter battle of wills with his unusually shrewd wife, who isn't about to give up her newfound leadership role without a fight.