Sunday, September 7, 2014

The French Minister 2013


The French Minister

     This film is based on a novel, Quai d’Orsay and also a speech by the former French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.  Picture a man with silver hair, tanned skin, dressing with style, tall, impressive, women find him attractive and he is the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the French Government.  Another man is younger, newly hired, a graduate of the National School of Administration and he is the head of language.  His title doesn’t explain what he does and his job is to write the speeches for the minister.  This is not an easy job and he will need to sort out the people who can be trusted.  There is stress, ambition, lying, gossip, smearing and everyone is trying to elevate their own position on a day-to-day basis.
     Comedy and what is considered “funny” must be entirely different in France and it is somehow lost on me as an American?  It is a slog to read the subtitles and not even achieve a hint of a tee-hee from this film!  2* (I didn’t like this movie)

113 min, Comedy directed by Bertrand Tavernier with Thierry Lhermitte, Raphael Personnaz, Niels Arestrup, Bruno Raffaelli, Julie Gayet, Anais Demoustier, Thomas Chabrol Thierry Fremont.

Note:  Imdb 6.4 out of 10, 65% critic 56% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*.





No comments:

Post a Comment