In Quai d'Orsay (aka The French Minister) Bertrand Tavernier and Antonin Baudry have delivered a joyous romp into the daily lives of the French minister of Foreign Affairs and his cabinet. The film has two targets, and hits them both. It is a satire on how the ministry works, and a caricature of Dominique de Villepin, a French career civil servant, minister of finance and eventually prime minister. The caricature of the minister is broad comedy, brilliantly acted by Thierry Lhermite, who shows a myriad of emotions in any given scene. The satire on how the ministry actually works is more sublime comedy, brilliantly acted again, this time by Niels Arestrup and a great supporting cast. A special mention goes to Julie Gayet for her intelligent and playful onscreen persona. The lead, Raphaël Personnaz is also excellent. In a role in which he must underplay constantly, he is the glue that keeps all the parts of the film working together. The film's ending is odd, however, as the caricature and satire seem to stop for the minister's famous (in real life), powerful and eloquent speech at the UN asking in vain for the US not to invade Iraq. It is as if the writer and director are saying: OK, we had good fun mocking you all, and you deserve it, but the way you do things and all your quirkiness really do work, it's all good after all.
Review of The French Minister
