A stolen handbag threatens to topple the French government. Bureaucracy has never been this sexy.
Claire's handbag is stolen. It contained a letter written ten years previously by the man who is now the French President. In the letter, he urges his pregnant mistress to have an abortion. Claire immediately alerts the President's men. From that moment, the machinery of state swings into action.
Acting
Deneuve weaponizes charm; Trintignant oozes panicked authority.
Costume
Claire's wardrobe costs more than most political scandals.
Direction
Girod treats state machinery like a bedroom farce.
Director
Francis Girod
Catherine Deneuve
Claire Després
Michel Serrault
Le ministre de l'Intérieur
Jean-Louis Trintignant
Le Président de la République
Hippolyte Girardot
Pierre
Michel Auclair
Herbert
Michel Boisrond
Le Premier ministre
Claude Winter
La Présidente
Alexandra Stewart
Julie Hoffman
Pierre Baton
Michel Berto
Le patron du café
Viviane Blassel
L'animatrice radio
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during François Mitterrand's presidency, when his own hidden daughter was taboo public knowledge. The film whispers what newspapers wouldn't shout.
Girod adapted this from his own novel; the President was originally a Prime Minister until Trintignant demanded more symbolic weight.
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