Acclaimed writer/director François Ozon delivers a hilarious screwball comedy with ''Potiche'', a charming, candy-colored farce sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Set during 1977 in northern France, Catherine Deneuve plays Suzanne, the wife of an umbrella factory executive (portrayed by scene-stealing Fabrice Luchini). When her husband is taken hostage during a worker's strike, Suzanne takes control of the factory and enlists her ex-lover, the communist Babin (a perfectly cast Gérard Depardieu), to help stop the work action. After her husband is freed, things really get complicated. Deneuve is in top-form here, effortlessly transforming Suzanne from a potiche (a decorative trophy wife) into a strong-willed businesswoman. Ozon's adaptation of a stage play gives each of the actors ample room to show the complexities of their characters, and he also has a ball playing with the 1970's palette, draping the sets, costumes and hairstyles in a humorous yet realistic manner that only adds to the fun in this joyous romp.