The President's Wife

Play trailer

1:34

The President's Wife

Released Apr 18

1h 32m

Comedy

Drama

Biography

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Long the woman-behind-the-man, Bernadette Chirac (Catherine Deneuve) arrives at the presidential Elysée Palace in 1995 frustrated and all but cast off by her newly elected husband, Jacques (Michel Vuillermoz). Having always worked in his shadow to help his ascent to the presidency, Madame Chirac now fully expects to finally get the place in the political elite she believes she deserves. In Léa Domenach's whip-smart feature film debut based on true events, Madame Chirac's rise from invisible political spouse to major media figure--as calculated as it was inevitable--is chronicled with equal parts reverence and wit, driven by Deneuve's wryly memorable central performance.

Critics Consensus

The President's Wife knows it's a trifle and uses that to its advantage, gently skewering French politics while presenting Catherine Deneuve with a plum role that she devours with aplomb.

Read Critics Reviews

Alonso Duralde

Press Play (KCRW)

Does she make compromises along the way that sell out her convictions and even members of her family? Yes. But does being on TV all the time mean that Karl Lagerfeld shows up so that she won't be wearing last year's Chanel? Also yes.

Apr 22, 2025

Full Review

Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

Deneuve is delicious in a role affectionately crafted for her.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 18, 2025

Full Review

Peyton Robinson

RogerEbert.com

At times playfully quaint and others sharply witty, the film maneuvers an environment of stuffy prestige and constant charading with deft hands

Rated: 3/4

Apr 18, 2025

Full Review

Manuel Betancourt

FilmWeek (LAist)

Tonally, it's just odd to get very little insight into politics and to focus on "the great woman behind the great man," but Deneuve is just fantastic.

May 20, 2025

Full Review

Oscar Goff

Cambridge Day

While mileage may vary depending on your history with the film’s subject, 90 minutes with Deneuve is rarely ill spent.

Rated: 3/4

May 8, 2025

Full Review

Armond White

National Review

The President’s Wife is a low-key comedy but outstanding for this period of humorless politics.

May 1, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

JoeG

Very entertaining. Throughly enjoyed!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/28/25

Full Review

MARYANN T

Everyone was wonderful in this movie but, of course, Catherine carried the show. It was interesting to get a glimpse of French politics, but the family interactions were even more compelling. It is satisfying to see a woman who had been pushed into the background come into her own so successfully. Loved the ending!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/20/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Léa Domenach

Director

Catherine Deneuve

Bernadette Chirac

Denis Podalydès

Bernard Niquet

Michel Vuillermoz

Jacques Chirac

Sara Giraudeau

Claude Chirac

Laurent Stocker

Nicolas Sarkozy

I, Tonya

90%

88%

I, Tonya

Watchlist

TRAILER

for I, Tonya

Dumb Money

84%

85%

Dumb Money

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Dumb Money

Fighting With My Family

93%

86%

Fighting With My Family

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Fighting With My Family

Vice

64%

61%

Vice

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Vice

Dolemite Is My Name

97%

91%

Dolemite Is My Name

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Dolemite Is My Name

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The President's Wife: Trailer 1

1:34

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Long the woman-behind-the-man, Bernadette Chirac (Catherine Deneuve) arrives at the presidential Elysée Palace in 1995 frustrated and all but cast off by her newly elected husband, Jacques (Michel Vuillermoz). Having always worked in his shadow to help his ascent to the presidency, Madame Chirac now fully expects to finally get the place in the political elite she believes she deserves. In Léa Domenach's whip-smart feature film debut based on true events, Madame Chirac's rise from invisible political spouse to major media figure--as calculated as it was inevitable--is chronicled with equal parts reverence and wit, driven by Deneuve's wryly memorable central performance.

Director: Léa Domenach
Producer: Antoine Rein, Fabrice Goldstein
Screenwriter: Léa Domenach, Clémence Dargent, Clémence Dargent, Léa Domenach
Distributor: Cohen Media Group
Production Co: Karé Productions
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Biography
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 18, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 32m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now