The French Minister

2013

113 mins

Directed by Bertrand Tavernier
62%
55%
Comedy

Master and vetern filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier (The Princess of Montpensier) directs this gleeful political satire about a dashing, globetrotting French... More

Master and vetern filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier (The Princess of Montpensier) directs this gleeful political satire about a dashing, globetrotting French foreign minister whose charm and insouciance mask his utter incompetence. Six-times nominated at the Lumiere Awards (French Academy Awards) 2014.

"The antics of the political class have provided much fodder over the years for artists and writers with a satiric bent... One of the great names of French cinema, Tavernier, has now joined this illustrious chorus with his withering take on contemporary French politics as played out in the Élysée Palace and the Quai d'Orsay, home of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Little escapes Tavernier's blistering assault - based on the award-winning graphic novel by Abel Lanzac, a former government speechwriter - which revels in all the comedic possibilities yet remains grounded in the prejudices of the moment. Even if a number of "crises" are pure fantasy the knocks on France's allies will resonate with everyone: the Americans, Germans, and British are all chauvinistically (and purely for fun) dismissed by their Gallic counterparts." (Toronto Film Festival)

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The French Minister | Ratings & Reviews

62_%21 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
55_%420 reviews
Audience score rating

"If foreign policy is left in the hands of people like Alexandre Taillard de Worms (Thierry Lhermitte), the Minister of this film’s title, it’s no surprise the world’s going to hell in a handbasket. Egotistical and inconsistent, de Worms is a handful for the public servants working beneath him (in shades of how many ministerial staff must feel here at the moment)."

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Flicks

"A sparkling and savvy comedy of political manners."

"Dry, sly comedy..."

"[Lhermitte's] energetic performance is by far the best reason to see the film, which should probably have been directed by somebody else; Tavernier has little flair for comedy."

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