A Número Um

An important executive of a private energy company (Emmanuele Devos) is contacted by a feminist group of influential women to propose that she compete for the management of an important French joint venture, one of whose sectors is water, starting from there a series of confrontations and intrigues.

The number one is a corporate drama very different from the one we are used to in American cinema. Although the gender issue is central to accessing relevant positions in a male-dominated business world, the protagonist's own doubts about this position and the lack of sense of deed add many nuances to the story.

The subtlety and sharpness with which Tonie Marshall (director and co-writer) describes the differences involved in being an important CEO for a woman, especially between her peers, and articulates them with her private life is remarkable. Of course, the battles and intrigues for corporate power would also have occurred with a male applicant, but the film highlights the differences. The general picture is realistic due to its contradictions without falling into cynicism and with a clear message that is never found in the pamphlet.

An outstanding cast participates, led by the great Emmanuelle Devos, who provokes the immediate empathy of the viewer and an interesting Richard Berry as her opponent.

The excellent Emmanuelle Devos here plays a top executive in a major energy / construction firm, who is recruited to become a candidate for the top job in the national water company, one of France's prestigious Top 40 companies. The campaign is very nasty, with plenty of corporate backstabbing, intrigue, and dirty deals.

Since she would be the first woman CEO of such a company in France, she automatically inherits the enthusiastic support of a major feminist group, which has connections and some pull. The film interestingly hints that Devos' character is far more interested in what she can do in the job than in gender politics, but she plays the cards she is dealt.

The film does a very good job of demonstrating why Devos' character is very good at her current job. She works very hard, knows the technical stuff, and can party with her Chinese clients in Mandarin, even singing sentimental Chinese songs with them.

The story of the campaign for the new job is unfortunately a bit murky at times, but the main maneuvers are clear enough. And the main bad guys, her rival -- slick and charming and lizard-like -- and his sleazy sidekick, are very well portrayed slimeballs, not the usual one dimensional caricatures.

Good topic, contemporary in our modern society. However a good topic is only a part of a good movie. A good story is needed and here we follow all that can be expected to the letter, without any suspense or having a connexion with the characters. We can even not avoid to thing to Isabelle Kocher and Engie with the choice of the company type: was it inconceivable to set the story in a company where we have not in reality the only CEO woman??

I have to say, not everything is bad, we have for example the first board meeting that creates a nice atmosphere with Emmanuelle Devos among all these men. But the movie needs to be not a requisitory that shows every possible argument and situation in favor of. It needs to propose us a story we are taken into.

This is the story of a woman in her forties who is a big executive in a huge company and whom is offered the possibility to become the big big executive. And this character, played by Emmanuelle Devos is not ruthless at all, although being pretty ambitious. But not at any cost, as we could have expected. At least me. I would have preferred this scheme. Unfortunately, it is rather predictable, boring, but not corny either. A film made by a woman and for women. Why not?

In Paris, the executive Emmanuelle Blachey (Emmanuelle Devos) works at an aeolic energy company and is doing business with the Chinese. She speaks Mandarin and is aware of their culture; therefore, the Chinese businessmen like doing business with her. She is married with the also executive Gary Adams (John Lynch) with a young daughter and an adult son. She has many tasks as executive, mother and wife and sleeps only four hours a day. When a feminist group led by the lobbyist Adrienne Postel-Devaux (Francine Bergé) and Véra Jacob (Suzanne Clément) invites her to be the next president of the Anthéa, a governmental water and basic sanitation company from the CAC 40, she is reluctant in principle. But soon she accepts the proposal and has to face the misogyny of the powerful and influential Jean Beaumel (Richard Berry) and his unethical assistant Marc Ronsin (Benjamin Biolay). Beaumel is a former president of Anthéa that has embezzled 800.000 Euros and hidden from the contributors and will play dirty to force Blachey to give up.

"Numéro une", a.k.a. "Number One" (2017), is a film with an interesting theme, the war of sex in business. Emmanuelle Devos has a great performance and convinces as a high-executive, mother and wife. Unfortunately, the movie is cold and does not engage the viewer with the story. The plot has a tedious pace and never holds the attention of the viewer. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "A Número Um" ("The Number One")