''5x2'' (also ''Cinq fois deux''; en, Five Times Two) is a 2004

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

film directed by François Ozon, which uncovers the back story to the gradual disintegration of a middle class marriage by depicting five key moments in the relationship, but in reverse order.

Plot

A young married couple, Gilles and Marion, are in a lawyer's office. The lawyer reads out the formal terms of their separation. Then, they book a hotel room together. We then go back in time, with the second chapter showing a tense dinner party, at which Gilles appears to admit to infidelity. The third chapter shows their son's birth, which Gilles missed by several hours, leaving Marion in the hospital with only her parents. The fourth chapter shows their wedding day. The final chapter takes place at an Italian beach resort, where their relationship began. The individual chapters are all punctuated by romantic Italian love songs, which Ozon has said he chose for their "over-the-top sentimentality" and in order to offset the darkness of some of the scenes in the film. Ozon has also said that the backward structure of the story was in part inspired by

Jane Campion Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion (born 30 April 1954) is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films ''The Piano'' (1993) and '' The Power of the Dog'' (2021), for which she has received a tot ...

's 1986 film '' Two Friends'', and that it allowed for "a true, lucid reading of a couple's story".

Cast

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, also written Bruni-Tedeschi (; born 16 November 1964), is an Italian-French actress, screenwriter and film director. Her 2013 film, ''A Castle in Italy,'' was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. ...

as Marion *

Stéphane Freiss Stéphane Freiss (born 22 November 1960) is a French film, television, and stage actor. He won a César Award for his performance in the 1988 film ''Chouans!''. Selected filmography *'' Premiers désirs'' (1984) *''Vagabond'' (1985) *''Chou ...

as Gilles *

Géraldine Pailhas Géraldine Pailhas (born 8 January 1971) is a French people, French actress. She had her first international success in 1995 as ''Doña Anna'', the unfulfilled love of Johnny Depp in the comedy ''Don Juan DeMarco''. She is married to actor Christ ...

as Valérie *

Françoise Fabian Michèle Cortes (born 10 May 1933), known professionally as Françoise Fabian (), is a French film actress. She has appeared in more than 100 films since 1956. In 1971, Fabian signed the Manifesto of the 343 The Manifesto of the 343 (), was a F ...

as Monique *

Michael Lonsdale Michael Edward Lonsdale-Crouch (24 May 1931 – 21 September 2020), commonly known as Michael Lonsdale and sometimes named as Michel Lonsdale, was a French actor and author who appeared in over 180 films and television shows. He is best know ...

as Bernard *

Antoine Chappey Antoine Chappey (born 1960) is a French actor. He has appeared in over 80 films and television shows since 1989. He starred in the film ''Nelly'', which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Selected fi ...

as Christophe Ferrond *

Marc Ruchmann Marc Ruchmann (born 27 January 1981 in Les Lilas, Seine-Saint-Denis) is a French actor, director and musician. Biography Ruchmann is of Alsatian Jewish and ''Pied-Noir''-Italian descent. Ruchmann trained at the Conservatoire de Paris between 19 ...

as Mathieu

Production

Stéphane Freiss said the hotel rape sequence with Valeria Bruni Tedeschi was 'pretty hardcore', explaining that in the screenplay this scene was only a few lines long (it said 'they make love') and revealing that after filming François Ozon said to the actors he wasn't expecting them to give so much.

References

External links

''5x2'' at Francois-Ozon.com
* {{François Ozon 2004 films 2000s French-language films French nonlinear narrative films Films directed by François Ozon 2004 romantic drama films French romantic drama films 2000s French films Films produced by Olivier Delbosc Films produced by Marc Missonnier