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France · 2011
1h 45m
Director Xavier Durringer
Starring Denis Podalydès, Florence Pernel, Bernard Le Coq, Michèle Moretti
Genre Comedy, Drama
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This biopic chronicles French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s rise to power amid his rivalry with the Foreign Minister and growing dysfunction within his marriage.
Picture takes genre helmer Xavier Durringer ("Chok-Dee") back to his theater roots, with most of the narrative mayhem and laughs coming from the picture's sharp dialogue and strong work by seasoned thesps, who just manage to avoid caricature.
Slant Magazine by Andrew Schenker
Even as it takes pleasure in imagining the wheeling and dealing that politicos make when no one is looking, it never offers as much insight into the process by which a president is made as its premise would seem to promise.
A drama about the dirty business of gaining power, it needs bared fangs - and more bite.
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
A smart, involving and strikingly adult drama about Sarkozy's rise to power.
Village Voice by Melissa Anderson
Aided by an excellent ensemble cast, director Xavier Durringer and his co-scripter, Patrick Rotman, don't refrain from showing this truly repellent side of Sarko during his rise from minister of justice in 2002 to the highest elected office.
The Conquest offers that familiar thrill of being allowed to peek behind the curtain and see what our leaders are really like, and while it's more rote than revelatory, that may be because the American way of wielding power - and telling stories about it - has gone global.
Christian Science Monitor by Peter Rainer
Still, I prefer a bit more drama in my political docudramas. The Conquest never really breaks out of its genre in the way that, say, "The Queen" or "Il Divo" or the more fictionalized "In the Loop" did.
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
The movie, which begins with Mr. Sarkozy's election-night victory in May 2007, only intermittently rises above the tone of an arch, sniping drawing-room comedy peopled with mild caricatures.
The film opens with a disclaimer: "Although based on real events and people, this is a work of fiction." There should be another warning: Unless you're up to date on French politics, a lot of Googling is needed to follow the players.
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