''Sitcom'' is a 1998 French
surrealistic
Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...
film written and directed by
François Ozon
François Ozon (; born 15 November 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter.
Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers.
His films are characterized by aesthetic beauty, sharp satirical humor and a free-wheeli ...
. The story documents the moral decline of a once esteemed suburban family, whose descent into degeneracy begins with the purchase of a small white rat.
The film's name is a direct reference to American
sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
s, which are noted for their focus on traditional
family values
Family values, sometimes referred to as familial values, are traditional or cultural values that pertain to the family's structure, function, roles, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals. Additionally, the concept of family values may be understood ...
and whimsical humour.
Plot
The patriarch (François Marthouret) of a seemingly normal nuclear family returns home one day with a small white rat. The animal soon has an adverse effect on his wife (Évelyne Dandry) and children, influencing them into enacting their darkest, most hidden desires.
The son, Nicolas (Adrien de Van) loudly announces his
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
and begins throwing wild orgies, the daughter Sophie, (Marina de Van) deliberately flirts with death and practices
sadomasochism
Sadism () and masochism (), known collectively as sadomasochism ( ) or S&M, is the derivation of pleasure from acts of respectively inflicting or receiving pain or humiliation. The term is named after the Marquis de Sade, a French author known ...
on her boyfriend (Stéphane Rideau), while the mother seduces her son so she can "cure" him of his orientation. After the father eventually kills and devours the offending rat, he turns into one himself; when his family discover this, they band together and brutally slay him.
Cast
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Évelyne Dandry (billed as Evelyne Dandry) as The mother / La mère
*
François Marthouret
François Marthouret (born 12 September 1943) is a French actor.
He is best known for playing Paul Lescaut in the French police drama series ''Julie Lescaut
''Julie Lescaut'' is a French police television series created by Alexis Lecaye. It ...
as The father / Le père
*
Marina de Van as Sophie
*
Adrien de Van as Nicolas
*
Stéphane Rideau as David
*
Lucia Sanchez as Maria
*
Jules-Emmanuel Eyoum Deido as Abdu
*
Jean Douchet
Jean Douchet (; 19 January 1929 – 22 November 2019) was a French film director, historian, film critic and teacher who began his career in the early 1950s at ''Gazette du Cinéma'' and '' Cahiers du cinéma'' with members of the future French N ...
as Psychotherapist / Le psychothérapeute
*
Sébastien Charles as Boy with the zucchinis / Le garçon aux courgettes
*
Vincent Vizioz as Guy with red hair / Le garçon aux cheveux rouges
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Kiwani Cojo as Pierced guy / Le garçon au piercing
*
Gilles Frilay as Guy with mustache / L'homme moustachu
*
Antoine Fischer as Gregory / Le petit garçon
See also
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Queer Cinema
External links
*
1998 films
1998 independent films
French black comedy films
French independent films
French LGBTQ-related films
Films directed by François Ozon
LGBTQ-related black comedy films
Films about incest
1990s French films
Films produced by Olivier Delbosc
Films produced by Marc Missonnier
1998 LGBTQ-related films
{{1990s-France-film-stub