THE CONQUEST is excellent and timely biopic - which is shaping up to be a theme for my movie watching lately. Originally reviewed for dvdsnapshot.
Official Synopsis:
The Conquest
is that rare specimen produced while its political subject is still
in power. Denis Podalydès delivers a witty yet commanding portrayal
of Nicolas Sarkozy and his rise to the French presidency through the
lens of his unraveling marriage to wife Cecilia (Florence Pernel).
This vivid film depicts the future president of France as a bold and
unashamed virtuoso of political combat. Brilliantly etching sharp
characterizations of living politicians, The Conquest
never veers too far from reality, even while deploying a
larger-than-life sense of humor and a buoyant, Fellini-esque score
that giddily evokes a circus-like atmosphere of modern politics.
Our Take:
Films about politics are always a
strange breed, taking you behind the headlines while usually positing
that their subjects are amoral monsters behind those shellacked,
calculated smiles. Power and celebrity are sexy, but fame derived
from elected authority always seems suspect. Perhaps because of the
hunger required to throw your had into the ring? We always assume the
best man for an office is the one too smart and decent to run. The
best political stories also emphasize those pulling strings and
smoothing feathers to keep the political machine on track. It's the
wives and advisers (Eve Carringtons and Iagos?), usually far more
Machiavellian than the candidate himself. This film isn't a political
fiction, though dramatic license was taken.
