An aged politician who's writing his memoirs still keeps his finger on the pulse of the nation. He gets a nasty shock upon learning that one of his ex-collaborators is tipped for an important job. His dislike and distrust of the man are not unjustified...
"Le président", which is set in France, deals with the life and times (much of it told through flashbacks) of a fictional politician. As such it belongs to the genre known as "politique-fiction". It's a good entry into the genre, with an interesting subject matter and plot. For instance, some of the gravest policy discussions concern the possible unification and integration of Europe - birth of the European Union, anyone ? The two leads, Jean Gabin and Bernard Blier, deliver fine performances - but then, both men were giants of cinema...
The movie is also notable for the wit and sharpness of its dialogue. A small example : a lively young maid asks her employers for their permission to take the afternoon off, since she wants to care for her sick grandmother. The master of the house grants his permission, although he knows that the girl has produced a clear lie. As he explains later on, he wanted to reward the polite delicacy of her request - what if she had stated that she wanted the afternoon off in order to have sex with her boyfriend ? The exit crack about public funerals is pretty good too. ("And somewhere in the future you'll vote, unanimously, to give me a public funeral, for which kind attention I'm thanking you in advance.")
An intelligent movie about the darker side of politics, with its backroom deals, leaks and seedy secrets.
"Le président", which is set in France, deals with the life and times (much of it told through flashbacks) of a fictional politician. As such it belongs to the genre known as "politique-fiction". It's a good entry into the genre, with an interesting subject matter and plot. For instance, some of the gravest policy discussions concern the possible unification and integration of Europe - birth of the European Union, anyone ? The two leads, Jean Gabin and Bernard Blier, deliver fine performances - but then, both men were giants of cinema...
The movie is also notable for the wit and sharpness of its dialogue. A small example : a lively young maid asks her employers for their permission to take the afternoon off, since she wants to care for her sick grandmother. The master of the house grants his permission, although he knows that the girl has produced a clear lie. As he explains later on, he wanted to reward the polite delicacy of her request - what if she had stated that she wanted the afternoon off in order to have sex with her boyfriend ? The exit crack about public funerals is pretty good too. ("And somewhere in the future you'll vote, unanimously, to give me a public funeral, for which kind attention I'm thanking you in advance.")
An intelligent movie about the darker side of politics, with its backroom deals, leaks and seedy secrets.