Presidents

I went into this movie thinking it would be a light comedy to watch and forget. It is a light comedy, but it's unforgettable.

Never mind the bizarre symmetry between this theoretical situation a few years back (Macron being wiped out and the fascist party about to access power) and the very real situation we have now in France; that's just a bonus.

What blew me away was the presence of 2 strokes of genius in this otherwise low-profile movie.

The first stroke of genius, and the main one, is Dujardin's incredibly good depiction of Sarkozy. I have always thought that he would be the perfect actor to cast for a biopic (or rather a parody) of Macron if there ever is one. They match in looks, voice, and "default" tone of voice. I often watch Macron speak and think he's a cleaned-up version of OSS 117. So when I saw he'd play Sarkozy, I thought: what a wasted opportunity if that means he never gets to play Macron! They have nothing in common physically and it was hard to project Dujardin into the character, it didn't seem like a good fit. Yet... I was wrong. Dujardin learned to imitate Sarkozy to perfection. All the little tics in his face and shoulders, the way his eyes and eyebrows work... This will go fully unnoticed to people who've never seen much of Sarkozy (international audiences, most likely), but for people who've suffered his presence for several years, it comes to life in an astounding manner. Dujardin almost disappears behind the Sarkozy character. It is HIM! For sure, Dujardin will have made more important, more critically acclaimed movies, but I believe this is his best actor's work so far, just for this reason. And that in itself is justification enough to recommend watching the movie to any French person. I kept laughing out loud thoughout the movie, just because of Dujardin's face and tone of voice.

The second, more discrete stroke of genius is the way the director (or writer? Or both) plays with us in subtle ways. This is indeed a simple, lightweight comedy, but now and then a few unexpected things happen which step out from the format for a second, and cause (at least in me) a sudden laugh. I'm not sure how this will transcribe to non-French audiences as this may be a rather French form of humor. But if you pay attention and notice those moments, it's really rewarding. Without adding spoilers, the way a bodyguard plays scrabble, and the later reuse of one complicated word in the movie in an unrelated situation, are little winks at the viewer which work really well. Similarly, the one single moment where the 2 presidents suddenly address the camera directly one after the other, each oblivious to the other one standing next to them, is something you'd expect more from a Bertrand Blier movie than a light comedy. Yet it works, it's fresh and surprising, not overdone, and then we move on and it does not reoccur. I really like this original take on the format of a comedy.

In conclusion, many people may miss those 2 aspects entirely and see only a watery, possibly dull comedy. Yet there is true genius at work here, and for those able to see it for what it is, it is a deliriously funny movie that will mark one's memory.

If you've been following French politics, you might find it funny. Desjardins's postures are very close to the original, to the point you're disappointed he does not imitate the voice even more.

Ending is so so, but altogether a nice movie.

Presidents is a satirical look at a couple of French Presidents who find themselves, post-presidency, interested in joining forces, despite their considerable differences, in order to make a big comeback. The characters of Nicolas and François being obviously based on Nicolas Sarkozy (Jean Dujardin) and François Hollande (Gérard Gadebois) despite the film jokingly telling us it is definitely not about them.

We are led through the story by Nicolas, an often spot-on performance by Dujardin, who narrates the highs and lows of his political stint from his ascension to the presidency, to his defeat against François and then his failure to return as a lead candidate. The considerable legal troubles, which the actual ex-President has been involved with over the past few years, are roughly hinted at but never explored or even a real part of this story, which feels a little strange. Nicolas, desperate to revive his political career, decides to travel to a little town in the French countryside which happens to be where François lives. The latter has basically retired from politics at this point and is (reluctantly?) enjoying a normal day to day routine. Nicolas' ulterior motive soon becomes clear as he attempts to convince François to form a new party together.

If there was going to be a comedy about two French Presidents, it just makes sense that these two would be the chosen subjects as their personalities, and politics, are vastly different which makes from an entertaining contrast. Though, placing the two side by side as equally cartoonish individuals will no doubt alienate some viewers. Ultimately, the film suggests that they have more in common than they realize, namely the thirst for power and the wild ride leading up to it. Presidents could have easily descended into pure farce or taken itself way too seriously. Thankfully, the film finds a good middle line and doesn't cross it either way, making the uneven script a lot more palatable. It also helps that both Jean Dujardin and Grégory Gadebois deliver fantastic performances throughout.

The problem with Presidents is that, while its comedy is solid and it boasts some biting one-liners, it gets bogged down too much with trying to psychoanalyze its subjects, which never feels authentic and gives the film an odd tone. The cast is likable, the film itself has its funny moments but, unless you're really invested in French politics, I can't imagine that this one would be worth it.

An enjoyable, if forgettable, watch.

It's a pretty funny movie.

Not the type to make you burst out laughing, funny and particular in its way of showing two former presidents eager to return to the front of the stage.

The film goes against our expectations, we thought we would find two presidents on the electoral campaign and we find ourselves seeing two men in Correz running clumsily towards something they have lost and will probably never find again.

But even if the film is sold as a comedy film, it still manages to share a certain tenderness for these two characters.

I think that the film could have won commercially by being funnier, but I find the final result much more interesting than the very poor humorous productions that are born in abundance in France each year.

So yes Presidents is totally hilarious if you know what you are looking at ie 2 former presidents one from the right one from the left deciding to combine their forces to defeat fascist Marine in the next election premised on the fact that the current incumbent is a dead duck ... a fair assessment most would agree

Dujardin here is meant to be Nicolas Sarkozy and "does him" to a tee; complete with body language hunched shoulders hand gestures; he must have viewed hundreds of hours to get it that good

The actor doing Hollande physically is very close to the original

This film can only be enjoyed by folks who have been following France's political life for the last 20 years at least; not too sure how it comes across in translation; but to a French speaker/citizen it is hilarious

So many clever touches studding this astute portrayal of the visible ex-rulers of Macronia

The ending is even funnier than the rest of the piece

The pace is slow here to mirror the Corrèze region it is filmed in ... the hinterland like Iowa or Yorkshire if that frames it better for you ... totally worth the trip for France-watchers.