Le 4ème pouvoir

French cinema has always brought us empathy and intuition over logic and plot. Which perhaps explains why "Le 4eme Pouvoir" - nominally an American-styled political thriller featuring international gangsters, police, high-ranked politicians, buzzing news rooms and live TV broadcasts - ultimately shines most as an unlikely love drama.

Leads Garcia and Noiret are very convincing, despite having some less-than-stellar dialogue to work with. Serge Leroy proves to be a very capable director, moving the story along briskly, even if sometimes at the expense of plausabiilty. As a bonus, there is a grainy VHS tape and generous dose of cool 1980s fashion - I particularly enjoyed Garcia's haircut, her outfits, and the interior design of her apartment.

This fourth power is none other than the medias : Catherine Carré represents the television news,a nice place where "you just stand aside and look" whereas her ex-lover ,Yves Dorget , represents the press where you can write anything you want and you "are fighting a constant struggle ".

A prime minister is involved in the murder of an opponent of a Third World country government ;France (and himself)had a stake in a deal :2 power plants were to be built in the country .

In the past ,André Cayatte and Yves Boisset used to broach this kind of story :their works were heavily demonstrative,but they were often efficient ;Serge Leroy showed in the past he could treat such burning subjects ,as his brilliant " La Traque" shows .

Unfortunately,Françoise Giroud 's screenplay is oversimplified ,you can read through it ;it accumulates caricatures (the TV chief executive ,played by a wasted Brialy,Dorget's editor) clichés (the estranged couple whose adventures bind them together again...for a while) ,and egregious gaffes ( the reporters meeting , the restaurant owner at the beck and call of her famous guest).

The only asset of this heavy-handed political movie is its principals :both Philippe Noiret and Nicole Garcia try their best to give their characters some substance ;and given the limitations they were working under, they are to be praised .

This plot reminded me some Sidney Lumet's work, I don't why...Maybe the choice of the subject, scheme...But the result is definitely not NETWORK nor POWER. However, the actors are quite good, especially Nicole Garcia, as usual. Serge Leroy once more makes a drama speaking of the modern society failures, as he has done all long his brief career. It is a plot that asks many questions without necessarily giving answers. Yes, it's rather good, but do not compare it with Sidney Lumet or Norman Jewison's movies. It is a material from the eighties, noot the best decade for this kind of subject. One decade earlier, it would have been terrific. More production frreedom, I mean. I guess.