The Conquest

Nicolas Sarkozy could fight his way to the presidency of France, but he was powerless to keep his wife, Cécilia, from leaving him for another man. That’s the truth-based nub of this mischievous backstairs dramatization, all the juicier for being presented with such seeming French refinement. Denis Podalydés makes an excellent Sarko, playing tough with the French political system in ways American strategist Karl Rove would approve. B+