Deneuve Shines in a Thin but Playful Satire

Read Time:5 Minute, 15 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The President's Wife (Blu-ray)
–

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Biography, History
Year Released: 2023, Kino Lorber Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director(s): Léa Domenach
Writer(s): Léa Domenach, Clémence Dargent
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Michel Vuillermoz, Denis Podalydès, Sara Giraudeau, Laurent Stocker, François Vincentelli
Where to Watch: available now here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: THE PRESIDENT’S WIFE takes real events, real people, and a lot of satirical seasoning and whips up a political comedy that never pretends to be definitive. Directed by Léa Domenach in her feature debut, the film positions itself between affectionate character study and pointed send-up. Catherine Deneuve (one of my all-time favorite actors) anchors the experience as the titular Madame Chirac. The result is stylish and sharp, but it often feels more interested in one-liners than in unpacking the deeper ironies of power, gender, and public life.

Set in 1995, the film follows Bernadette Chirac (Deneuve), newly installed in the French presidential palace following her husband Jacques Chirac’s election. But the victory is hollow—she's pushed to the sidelines, patronized, and quickly dismissed as an out-of-touch relic. The catch? Bernadette has no intention of fading quietly into obscurity. If her husband won the election, she’s determined to win the people.

The story unfolds like a hybrid of real-life political biopic, with Deneuve commanding the frame at nearly every turn. Her Bernadette is clever, sarcastic, and far more self-aware than her political rivals give her credit for. Through carefully staged appearances, media savvy, and a relentless push for recognition, she reshapes herself into a cultural force, not out of duty, but out of pure, pointed spite.

It’s an enjoyable conceit, and the film plays it up with a frothy tone and flourishes, including stylized sequences, pointed voiceover, and more than one fantastical music cue. But this commitment to lightness also becomes its ceiling. The film gestures at deeper themes—gender expectations in political marriages, the performative nature of public service, the invisibility of older women in power—but never quite digs into them.

That said, Deneuve is undeniably the highlight here. She easily inhabits the role, giving Bernadette both steely resolve and enough dry wit to carry a dozen comedies. It’s a sharp turn, and even when the screenplay doesn’t go deep enough, she ensures the performance still lands. The supporting cast—including Michel Vuillermoz as Jacques Chirac and Denis Podalydès as Bernard Niquet—do what they can. However, their roles often rely on Bernadette without the same sense of dimension.

Yet for all its surface appeal, THE PRESIDENT’S WIFE suffers from tonal inconsistency and a lack of depth. Instead, moments that could offer dramatic tension are played for laughs or left undeveloped. A subplot involving Bernadette’s strained family relationships—particularly with her daughters—is treated more as commentary than conflict, and the historical context is often sacrificed for punchlines or broad caricature. It works if you're in on the joke, but anyone hoping for a layered exploration of power politics or gender dynamics may be underwhelmed.

It also helps to be familiar with French political history; while the broad strokes are accessible, the film makes assumptions about the viewer’s awareness of key figures and events. About Nicolas Sarkozy, public programs like the “Pièces Jaunes” campaign and media feuds come fast without much setup, which might leave audiences slightly in the dark. Still, the overall arc is clear enough: a sidelined woman becomes a force, not despite being underestimated, but because of it.

THE PRESIDENT’S WIFE offers an amusing, if shallow, portrait of reinvention. It doesn’t pretend to be a documentary and rarely risks becoming a true political satire. Instead, it’s a vehicle for Deneuve to reclaim a cinematic authority that mirrors Bernadette’s public transformation. The film succeeds most when it leans into that parallel, less about power and more about being seen.

At just over 90 minutes, the film doesn’t overstay its welcome, even if it sometimes underdelivers. It’s hard not to wish it were braver, or more committed to dissecting the systems it mocks. Still, Deneuve makes the ride worthwhile. Her performance suggests a much richer character than the film builds around her, but if you’re looking for a French-language comedy that pairs elegance with petty revenge, this might do the trick.

There’s charm in how Bernadette turns exclusion into a platform, but there’s irony, too: THE PRESIDENT’S WIFE is at its best when it lets its star shine and at its weakest when it stops short of saying something more. Ultimately, it’s not the bold political statement it flirts with being, but it is a sly, glossy showcase for a legend still refusing to be ignored.

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[photo courtesy of COHEN MEDIA GROUP, KINO LORBER]

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