Last Updated on 10 August 2025 by frenchflicks
Léa Domenach’s directorial debut, The President’s Wife, offers a satirical and poignant portrayal of Bernadette Chirac’s transformation from a sidelined First Lady to a formidable public figure.
Set against the backdrop of Jacques Chirac’s 1995 ascent to the French presidency, the film delves into Bernadette’s journey as she navigates the political landscape of the Élysée Palace. Portrayed by the illustrious Catherine Deneuve, Bernadette emerges from her husband’s shadow, challenging the confines of her traditional role. The narrative, enriched by Michel Vuillermoz’s depiction of Jacques Chirac, showcases Bernadette’s strategic maneuvers to assert her presence in the public eye. Domenach, co-writing with Clémence Dargent, masterfully blends historical facts with creative storytelling, painting a vivid picture of a woman reclaiming her narrative.
Is The President’s Wife a good movie?
In France, The President’s Wife garnered a warm reception, topping the box office in its opening weekend with 267,041 admissions. Critics on AlloCiné awarded it an average rating of 3.4/5, with Bande à part’s Olivier Pélisson praising it as “a tasty comedy” that successfully intertwines an offbeat biopic with a woman’s self-assertive journey.
In America, the movie received generally positive reviews from The New York Times and NPR: “It’s all treated lightly and without a shred of angst, and Deneuve — serene and bemused by the various idiocies she has to confront — is just the icon to pull it off.“
Leave a Reply