Based on the
award-winning graphic novel by former government speech writer Abel Lanzac, The French Minister is The Devil Wears Prada of political
films. The narrative is far more
concerned with the comedic nightmare of working for an egomaniacal public
personality than the actual politics that it is all endured to accomplish. It
is about the job, rather than being about the cause, which allows it the
relatable qualities of narrative that made past horror boss films successful as
well.
The politics
that are in the film resemble more “The Thick of It,” than “The West Wing,”
using a fictional job position of Minister of Foreign Affairs for the creation
of the film’s horrible boss. This position is held by Alexandre Taillard de
Vorms (Thierry Lhermitte), whose whirlwind ego and larger-than-life personality
are the focus of much of the narrative in The
French Minister. The minister is the focus, but our protagonist is his frequently
abused speech writer, Arthur Vlaminck (Raphaël Personnaz).
Arthur is the
straight man entering the bizarre world of politics, filled with an assortment
of unique individuals. The minister battles the Americans, the Russians and the
Chinese over various issues, but Arthur merely appears to be battling with the
minister. Pettiness and egotistical quirks make doing a complicated job even
more difficult, from the flurry of papers that scatter every time the minister
bursts into a room to his tendency to throw books of interest at his
speechwriters rather than handing them.
In his scene-stealing performance,
Lhermitte always has the appearance of someone teetering between savant and
A.D.H.D., though this certainly adds energy to the quick-witted dialogue that
is undeniably engaging. The only problem with all of this energy and excitement
is that it never seems to lead anywhere. The plot has no real arch beyond
Arthur’s ability to adapt to his situation, and the film drifts aimlessly
because of this.
The DVD extras include a making-of
featurette and a trailer.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
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