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The French Minister streaming

Original title: Quai d’Orsay
2013 Movie France Comedy 113 min FSK 12
By: Bertrand Tavernier With: Thomas Chabrol, Raphaël Personnaz, Julie Gayet, Niels Arestrup, Bruno Raffaelli

Alexandre Taillard de Vorms is tall and impressive, a man with style, attractive to women. He also happens to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the land of enlightenment: France. With his silver mane and tanned, athletic body, he stalks the world stage, from the floor of the United Nations in New York to the powder keg of Oubanga. There, he calls on the powerful and invokes the mighty to bring peace, to calm the trigger-happy, and to cement his aura of Nobel Peace Prize winner-in-waiting. Alexandre Taillard de Vorms is a force to be reckoned with, waging his own war backed up by the holy trinity of diplomatic concepts: legitimacy, lucidity and efficacy. He takes on American neo-cons, corrupt Russians and money-grabbing Chinese. Perhaps the world doesn't deserve France's magnanimousness, but his art would be wasted if just restricted to home turf. Enter the young Arthur Vlaminck, graduate of the elite National School of Administration, who is hired as head of "language" at the foreign ministry. In other words, he is to write the minister's speeches. But he also has to learn to deal with the sensibilities of the boss and his entourage, and find his way between the private secretary and the special advisers who stalk the corridors of the Quai d'Orsay - the ministry's home - where stress, ambition and dirty dealing are the daily currency. But just as he thinks he can influence the fate of the world, everything seems threatened by the inertia of the technocrats.

Filmium rating
64%

Mood

Comedic
Political
Political Satire
Satirical
Serious
Witty

Cast & Crew

Bertrand Tavernier
Christophe Blain
Antonin Baudry
Anaïs Demoustier
Niels Arestrup
Bruno Raffaelli
Thomas Chabrol
Thierry Lhermitte
Julie Gayet
Raphaël Personnaz

Adaptation

Based On Comic Strip

Cinematic Technique

Character-Driven
Dialogue-Heavy
Realism

Narrative Structure

Dialogue-Driven
Episodic

Pace

Dynamic
Engaging
Moderate

Style

Comedy
Drama
Satire

Time-Period

Early 2000S
Post-9/11 Era

Central Conflict

Diplomatic Diplomacy
Iraq Invasion Debate
Un Speech Controversy

Characters

Civil Servant
Diplomat
Foreign Minister
Speechwriter

Ending

Ambiguous
Climactic Speech
Political Resolution

Historical Context

2003 Iraq War
Post-9/11 Geopolitics

Key Plot Points

Opposition To Invasion
Political Negotiations
Speech At Un

Plot

Diplomatic Satire
International Relations
Iraq Invasion Debate
Political Intrigue
Speechwriting
Un Security Council Speech

Setting

Berlin
Dakar
French Foreign Ministry
United Nations

Shooting Location

Berlin
New York
Paris

Theme

Ambition
Diplomacy
Political Ethics
Political Integrity
Power Dynamics

Genre

Comedy
Drama
Political Satire

Audiences

Adults
Comedy Lovers
Political Enthusiasts
Satire Lovers

Titles

Quai d’Orsay
The French Minister

Awards

César Award For Best Supporting Actor

Festivals

Toronto International Film Festival

Reception

Best Supporting Actor
César Awards
César Nominations
Film Festival Screening
Toronto International Film Festival

Production Countries

France

Release Year

2013
mowizz ID: e58410ea-495a-489d-bbb1-84fa1a39486a
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