At the end of 2011, The New Yorker published an article on how un-French the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy really is. He is a Frenchman who texts on his iPhone at the dinner table, who is loud and crass, and who likes big money and little formality. Really, he could almost be American. As a subject for any story, he is a compelling character, but for director Xavier Durringer’s 2011 The Conquest, a fictional biopic of Sarkozy’s rise to power, there is hardly any fun.

Denis Podalydes (Best Supporting Actor, Embarassez Qui Vous Voudrez) delivers a multilayered portrayal of Sarkozy as he jumps through French politcal hurdles on his way to the top. Alongside Florence Pernel (Most Promising Actress, Three Colors: Blue) as his wife, Cecilia, he and she portray the perfect unhappy couple. The film opens with a disclaimer that this film is a work of fiction, which seems to be of little importance since the film is like a how-to documentary on running a successful political campaign and barely brushes the personal life of Sarkozy. The most compelling part of the story is the deteriorating relationship between he and his wife, Cecilia, and it pops up in bits and pieces as an interruption to his office life. Like a real campaign, The Conquest can be a monotony of political strategizing, though Sarkozy’s shameless remarks toward rival Dominique de Villepin (Samuel Labarthe) are satisfying. It is unlike other political dramas that follow high profile politicians; Oliver Stone’s W warms up the relationship between Daddy Bush and Bush Junior. The Yale fraternity rush scenes match the oval scenes in terms of entertainment. The Conquest  is quite literally just the conquest of the political position, not so much a personal struggle, but a bureaucratic chess game where Sarkozy refuses to be a pawn.

Sarkozy’s problems with his wife are evident in the beginning, or rather, her disinterest in his pursuit of power. The story doesn’t really lead up to a climax; rather it is a collection office-related obstacles that he eventually overcomes. Cecilia’s determination to leave Sarkozy is the weight that holds the drama together and is Sarkozy’s ultimate downfall- while obtaining the highest office in France; he loses his wife to another man.

Included in the bonus features are the making of The Conquest teaser and the theatrical trailer. The picture is in widescreen 2.35:1 and is in French with the option for English subtitles. The picture quality is solid and clear. The Conquest debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.