The French Minister (2013)

at the first sigh, a splendid comedy. seductive for humor, impeccable performances, for the air of French style to banter itself , with grace and precise art. at the second sigh - portrait of contemporary diplomacy. the minister as image, the hard work of staff, the delicate international files, the solutions and errors and bizarre advice, the family life and the pressure of job, conflicts, expectations and selfish. a fundamental institution as a clock. or labyrinth. "Quai d'Orsay" has the virtue to be more than a good film. but a guide for see the international relations. sure, in an ironic note. but fair and useful. for understand the responsibilities of a great European power diplomacy. and for discover a new perspective about events of every day.

In French culture, 'Quai D'Orsay" refers to French ministry of foreign affairs. It is also the name of a best selling comic book which has been adapted into a major film by veteran director Bertrand Tavernier. This is his first attempt at making a comedy film. He has not disappointed his loyal fans as "The French Minister" is able to make people laugh even when the film's theme appears to be serious. As a film 'The French minister' is largely autobiographical in nature as it is based on writer Antonin Baudry's experiences as a young trainee. In the past, he worked as a speech writer for former foreign minister of France Dominique De Villepin. Tavernier focuses on the mad world of politicians who use too much of academic rigor in order to deal with questions which need a pragmatic, practical approach. He shows that things are so bad at French foreign minister 'Alexandre Teilhard De Worms' office that one can quickly understand that a statement dictated in the morning would end up getting changed in the evening. The film mocks France's attempts to get involved in all major conflicts which happen in the world. It reveals that French government doesn't have proper strategies in place in order to deal with all the world's troubles. The laughter is assured as Tavernier doesn't hesitate a bit in showing the idiotic personalities of people working for French ministry of foreign affairs. Lastly, "The French Minister" displays its concern for genuineness by shooting its security council scenes at the actual UNO site.

I can think - as, I am sure, can you - of at least a dozen French film directors I would check out if I was in the mood for satire/comedy before getting round to Bertrand Tavernier. Nevertheless that is what he serves up here in the twilight of a career devoted to more dramatic fare. People like Tavernier and his principal players - Thierry Thermitte, Niels Arestrup - don't, of course, do mediocre so we are speaking of an entertaining evening even if your knowledge of French politics is non- existent (although, purely by coincidence, the presence of Julie Gayet in a major supporting role is unlikely to harm its chances at the box office and it's really refreshing to see a young French actor - in this case Rafael Personnaz - who is the complete antitheses of the current crop that embraces Romain Duris, Gal Ulliel, Benoit Magimal, who alternate between sullen and arrogant, each firmly convinced he is God's gift. In short whilst not vintage Tavernier it is far from chopped liver.

Quai d'Orsay is based on a comic book by Abel Lanzac (pseudonym for Antonin Baudry) who worked at the French Foreign Ministry (known colloquially as Quai d'Orsay, after its location in Paris) as former foreign minister Dominique de Villepin's speech writer for several years.In the film we have Arthur (Raphaël Personnaz) , a young speech writer for foreign minister Alexandre de Worms (played with relish by Thierry Lhermitte) who suffers from the minister's continuous barrage of shallow slogans instead of helpful directives. Tavernier has portrayed de Worms as a pretentious, shallow person with few redeeming features who appears to spend all his working hours highlighting quotations by his favorite authors with yellow highlighters. The film itself is a fast moving and reasonably funny farce focusing on the minister's helplessness in encounters at the UN, lunch with a Nobel Laurette, managing crisis at home (where he is ever reliant on the old hand Claude (played by the veteran actor Niels Arestrup) ad so on.Quai d'Orsay passes the time quite pleasingly mainly thanks to fine acting and brisk direction but is not a high point in Bertrand Tavernier's body of work.