Class Act (2023) s01e05 Episode Script

1
THIS SERIES IS
LOOSELY BASED ON REAL EVENTS
THE HERO'S JOURNEY IS BASED ON EVENTS
THAT ARE KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC.
BEYOND THESE,
THE ROLE PLAYED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS,
AS WELL AS SCENES OF PRIVATE LIFE
AND DIALOGUE, ARE FICTIONAL.
[curious music playing]
[door opens]
Monsieur Tapie, if you would follow me.
The President will see you now.
[Tapie] Mr. President.
A pleasure, Mr. Tapie.
My apologies in advance,
but I don't have much time today.
Please have a seat.
Although,
if what they say about you is true,
you don't like to sit still for long.
[chuckles]
What do you lack, Mr. Tapie?
I beg your pardon.
[chuckles]
Let me tell you what I lack. All right?
A little while ago,
I was in the United States,
and I met with President Reagan,
a man who doesn't share
many opinions with me.
I was a little apprehensive
about the meeting.
Reagan, "the cowboy."
Reagan, "the adventure capitalist."
Charming, energetic, a little like you
[chuckles]
which is something that I fundamentally,
and I truly mean this,
I detest in the extreme.
However, after seeing
how things are over there,
I realized that the policies
I wished to counter with lacked substance.
In some way we lack a strong vision
for the world of tomorrow.
Uh, well, Mr. President,
I won't contradict you there.
Evidently. You're not afraid to be blunt.
Well, yeah.
This is what my government is missing.
The passion, energy, the intelligence,
the instinct.
You are a winner, Bernard Tapie.
And I like that.
Now, I would like to know
what you would do
to make France a winner.
Well, Mr. President,
I'd treat it like a business,
meaning that I'd start
by finding the reasons we're losing.
Which are?
Social inequality, for example.
It's not right that kids in the projects
don't have the same opportunities
as the Parisians, huh?
Hmm.
They can work hard
for their entire lives trying to make it
and still have a one-in-10,000 chance.
So what do they do?
Well, they squat, steal, deal drugs.
And Jean-Marie Le Pen?
What would you do about him?
Well, it's all the same thing.
If you deal with unemployment
for young people,
you can eradicate Le Pen.
You need someone
who can get inside the system.
Someone who isn't afraid.
The French people have had enough
of establishment politicians.
Well, of course I don't mean you,
Mr. President. [chuckles]
No, I understand you, Mr. Tapie.
I appreciate it.
[reporter] Bernard Tapie, the fighter.
Bernard Tapie, the man
who can wear so many hats,
has become a legend at the age of 49
and a symbol,
a symbol of success in 1980s.
His most spectacular achievement,
the takeover
of global sporting giant Adidas.
- But this man is a boss like no other.
- [phone ringing]
He relishes notoriety
and glory above all else.
The epitome of a winner.
- [Dominique] Hello, Nicole?
- [reporter] by accepting Gaston Defferre
[Dominique] Really?
Okay.
[reporter] He will now apply
his methods to soccer.
You should run that by Fabien.
- [dog barks]
- [Tapie] Hey, buddy!
No, that's perfect.
I'll call you tomorrow.
Thanks, Nicole.
[reporter] He entered the business world
- Well? What's he like?
- [sighs]
I thought you'd be there all night.
I need a drink.
The man has an aura, this presence.
I've never seen anything like it.
He asked me to fight for young people,
for the future of France.
Great.
And?
I'm achieving my dream.
Going into politics, right?
- Your dream is to go into politics?
- Well, yeah.
[reporter] We are live
at the Ministry of Urban Affairs,
where Bernard Tapie,
the flamboyant president of OM
is about to take up his post.
His predecessor, André Laignel, is
standing by for the transfer of power.
We will try and ask him
a few questions about his ambitions.
Who will it be next time?
A hot dog vendor?
[indistinct chatter]
Once he realizes how little money
the Minister for Urban Affairs really has,
he'll be gone. Believe me.
[reporter 2] Mr. Tapie, what are
your ambitions for the city?
[overlapping chatter]
- Hi, sir.
- Welcome, sir.
Mr. Tapie!
Minister, a few words please.
[reporter 3]
Would you like to make a statement?
- Best of luck, Minister.
- And, hey, good luck to you.
- [reporter 3] Do you have a few words?
- [reporter 2] Your plans for housing?
[reporter 3]
How are you gonna tackle this next step?
[overlapping chatter]
[suspenseful music playing]
- Serge Picot. Welcome.
- [Tapie] Pleasure.
I will be your chief of staff here.
Stéphanie!
My daughter, Stéphanie.
She'll be to working with us.
- Hello and welcome.
- Nice to meet you.
- Great. If you'd like to follow me.
- My pleasure.
[whimsical music playing]
Almost as nice as my house.
[Picot chuckles]
- Now, protocol requires
- No, no protocol with me.
Let's just get started.
All right, let me show you your office.
No, no office. I want to start! Hmm?
I'm a man of action. You'll see that.
Okay, so let me tell you,
I'm more than just talk.
All right, let's go.
[sighs]
[dog whimpering]
- Yes?
- Ma'am, Nicole is here for you.
- It's me, Dominique.
- Ah.
I'm sorry to bother you.
Thank you. But we need to talk.
It's no problem at all, Nicole.
What's the matter?
[vacuum cleaner running]
We're bleeding out.
From every direction.
Hold on. Come have a seat.
[man] As I was saying, Minister,
we try to do our work, uh, seriously
with a commitment to
to the neighborhood youth.
It's a fundamental aspect
[Tapie] If anyone understands
the problem here, it's me.
We appreciate you
coming all the way over here,
and we think it's absolutely crucial to
Bravo, Mr. Tapie! France needs you.
- These infrastructures
- Thank you, ma'am.
- Hey, Mr. Tapie! We need money!
- [man] These sports
[reporter] Do you have a plan
for unemployment here?
Just 500,000, please!
- Which is very
- OM! OM! OM, fuck you!
- [crowd cheering]
- Just use protection, young man.
Over here, is the Edgar Faure gym.
At least it was.
It was burned down six months ago.
It hasn't been rebuilt?
Well, the project still needs
the administration to sign off.
- Really?
- We're waiting.
How?
We'll make a call and speed things up.
- [woman] Congratulations!
- Thank you.
No, no notes. Do it right away.
- What would you call this?
- [man 2] Hey, let's go.
Populism? Demagogy?
Minister,
isn't this job beyond your abilities?
Is being a journalist
within your abilities?
How's it feel to be here, Bernard?
You've come back to your roots?
Yes, exactly, I've come back to my roots.
And 30 years later,
I see that nothing has changed at all.
The problem is our country
has no faith in its youth,
so the youth has no faith in itself.
What we need to do is find solutions
so these people stop
feeling ashamed of themselves.
- Sounds great, but it's all talk.
- [woman] That's right, Amina!
Except I don't just talk.
I get things done.
[man 3] Oh yeah, sure.
You got it wrong, man.
We're ashamed of you.
[man 5] Exactly!
Real people don't live in a game show.
Politics isn't show business.
I'm well aware. What can I
do to show you I'm serious?
Nothing. You can't do, you won't do,
and deep down, you don't want to.
You're 20 years old and already jaded.
I'm 23 with a master's degree
in communications.
I've been rejected from every job.
So, thanks,
but save your condescension.
[woman] You tell him, Amina!
Oh, don't worry about her.
She's well-known in the neighborhood.
One of those activists.
The new trend, I suppose.
And over here,
we have the André Mauroy Middle School.
Look. We have a payment
of 150 million for Adidas
that we have to pay to Bayerische
before the end of August.
And well,
honestly, I've read
and re-read the contracts,
double-checked the accounts,
and I don't see how we'll make it.
Well, we can renegotiate.
No, we can't.
The Germans have a guarantee.
So if we don't pay, Crédit Lyonnais pays.
That would be a catastrophe.
No banker will ever trust us again,
not to mention public opinion.
With the press
covering Bernard all morning,
if he gets bailed out by
a national bank now, it'll be a scandal.
So what's the solution?
There's only one.
It is that he sells Adidas.
You might as well ask him to leave you.
- Thanks for the comparison.
- No, but you know what I mean.
One-point-six billion in debt
in 18 months?
That's the optimistic outlook.
I can speak to Bernard.
[Tapie] Let me tell you what I remember
from our little field trip.
What I remember is groups of kids
hanging around outside the buildings
with nothing better to do
than smoke pot and play soccer.
Well, we always talk
about the rise of Front National, hmm?
About unemployment, drug trafficking,
but we never talk about the fact
that when these young people
leave school for home,
no one is waiting for them.
When I left school, I went home to my mom.
And she would always make me jam on toast.
It was pure happiness.
Just talking about it to you now,
I have the taste of it coming back,
you know?
The smell of the toasted bread, the
I mean, I never stayed very long,
because I had things to do
with my friends,
but at least we were talking, huh?
We were together.
Then she'd give me a big hug.
But kids nowadays, after school,
they go home to no one.
They don't see Mom,
because she leaves at 6:00 a.m. to work.
So what do they do?
They meet up with their friends
and then their problems start.
So here's what we're going to do.
We're going to organize
after-school snacks.
All the little old ladies who live there
are scared of these kids,
because they don't know them.
Yet in their little old-lady hearts,
they want one thing:
to feed all of those kids.
So get to work on that.
I want to see a plan laid out
tomorrow morning.
And what will we call it, hmm?
- Mmm, the "After-School Snack Special"?
- Great idea, Serge! Well done.
All right, get to work.
Have a nice evening.
- Stéphanie, I'd like you to stay, please.
- Okay.
[Tapie] "After-School Snack Special."
That's great, Serge.
I'll write that one down.
All right, gentleman, let's do this.
- We're gonna restore social cohesion.
- [door opens]
Good night.
They don't seem excited.
Well, screw them.
Good for you, Dad.
[Tapie] Yeah. I don't care if Di Meco
has a calf injury? I mean
No.
Just because I can't come to the training
center, doesn't mean you can do whatever.
The way we beat PSG
is with our starters. Is that clear?
Even if we have to drug them, all right?
Yeah, I'm counting on you. Bye.
[scoffs] My God.
Well, how was your first day?
- I'm exhausted.
- Yeah, well, that's work, right?
Yeah. I'm going to bed.
Good night. Get some rest.
We start at 7:00 tomorrow.
- [Stéphanie] Good night, Dad.
- She was great, you know.
Discreet, efficient.
[Le Pen] It's turning into a flood!
Today, it's in the millions.
[scoffs]
What's that fascist Le Pen saying now?
[Le Pen] What will we do, Mr. Stoléru,
when that number is 10 or 15 million?
- I saw Nicole today.
- [Tapie] Oh yeah?
[Dominique] Mm-hmm.
[Tapie] Did come to whine again?
No, to talk about problems with the group.
[Tapie] Yeah.
You know what she's like. She's obsessive.
She's always picking holes in everything.
Well, this hole is pretty big.
We're talking about 150 million
due at the end of the month.
There's nothing in the accounts.
Yeah, well who cares about the banks. Hmm?
Look, if everyone
had to pay their loans back right away,
no one would ever make any money.
You'll find a solution.
[Le Pen] You are choosing to defend
foreigners over French citizens.
I choose to defend French citizens
over foreigners. And that's not
- [Tapie] Oh God.
- [Le Pen] That is not hate!
And it just keeps coming.
- I prefer French people to foreign people.
- [Stoléru] Can I say something?
- That doesn't mean I hate foreigners.
- Oh God, you're a moron, Stoléru.
- [Stoléru] Can I say something?
- [Tapie] "Can I say something?"
That won't stop the Front National.
[mysterious music playing]
[Nicole] All right, this way.
Here we are, gentlemen.
Here you have all of the documents
for the Tapie group.
Those are the contracts, and those are
the balance sheets from previous years.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- It's very simple.
- Hello.
We need to save 150 million
by the end of the year.
How long will that take?
Uh, I would think four weeks, at least
You have two days.
[woman] Oh! Excuse me!
Okay, this
this is all I found, Dominique.
Oh, that's perfect. Great.
[woman] Good. All right.
Are you going to help us?
- Oh, yes, of course. Yeah.
- [Dominique] Okay.
Great, thank you. Here's another.
[Nicole] I'll just pop that on top there
like a little cherry. There you go.
- Voilà!
- [man] Great.
[Tapie] What do you mean we can't?
Are you joking?
There's a legal framework, Minister.
It's nothing against your snack idea,
but there are
at least 14 French laws against it,
most importantly the labor code.
Well, if it's about the laws,
let's change them.
- That's why we're here.
- Well, no.
But to counter
these somewhat pessimistic findings,
we did contact a few organizations,
notably in Grigny and Saint-Denis,
And if we, uh, give them
the appropriate funding,
they could try this
for a few hundred kids.
A hundred kids? [chuckles]
Then, if the project proves successful,
we can think about further
"Proves successful," "think about"
I mean,
this is how it's gone for 30 years.
Yeah, well, unfortunately,
we can't change the constitution.
Okay, I get it.
This has to go through the big boss.
Is that what you're telling me?
- Well
- Let's go and speak to him in person.
Stéphanie, can you take that?
You want me to
Call the Élysée and set
a meeting with the President.
[dramatic music playing]
No, that's how it is Jean-Pierre, okay?
I don't give a shit. Got it?
Boli can watch the match
from the bench if he keeps it up.
And if that doesn't work,
you take away his monthly bonus. Hold on.
Thank you.
- Hello, Minister.
- Pleasure.
- Hello, Serge.
- Albert.
[Albert chuckles]
I'm very sorry,
but the President is very busy
and can't see you today.
- Ah.
- However, if you want, you can talk to me.
Sounds like you
have some powerful ideas
Absolutely.
Well, would you
like a tour of the grounds?
That would be lovely.
[Albert] Follow me.
How do you manage
to juggle your work at the ministry
while also running Olympique de Marseille?
I find that fascinating.
I delegate a lot, and I have a great team.
So, uh is the story
true about Abedi Pelé?
That you made Monaco think he had AIDS
so you could recruit him?
[scoffs]
Soccer is interesting, but the future
of France is more important.
I completely agree.
I assume you're not here to talk
to the President about your game tomorrow.
No. We have an incredible reform project
we're ready to pull the trigger on,
but for now it's blocked.
- It's blocked?
- Yeah.
What do you mean, blocked?
Well, it's blocked
by all these complicated laws,
which just seem
to encourage everyone to do nothing.
Yeah. What the Minister means to say
is that we need a little extra help
from the Élysée to, uh
to launch a project we'd like to present
to the government soon.
- Is this about the toast?
- Exactly, the toast.
I mean, "toast" is a bit reductive.
You might think I'm naïve.
What people want
in these projects is a community.
See, if Jacqueline is scared of Mohammed,
and Mohammed is scared of Boubakar,
Boubakar wants to kill Tchang,
the cycle will never end.
Well, actually, uh,
what kind of jam?
- What do you mean, what kind?
- Well, my grandmother used plum jam.
She made it herself.
It was marvelous.
What about you, Serge?
Uh, strawberry jam. It was strawberry.
Strawberry. The best. [chuckles]
Have you thought about offering
juice as well? Apple? Grape? Pineapple?
The possibilities are endless
[Tapie] What a bunch of assholes. I swear.
Uh, working with the Socialist Party
sure wasn't your best idea.
[Tapie] No?
What did you expect from them?
They have nothing but contempt
for the working class.
Why wouldn't they despise you?
Who knows?
Maybe I should just stay in my lane.
Business, sports, huh?
That's enough, right?
I'm not made for politics.
- No, you're meant for it.
- [Tapie] Really?
Really. Did you see
how you make people feel?
You give them hope.
You make them want to keep going.
If that's not politics, then what is?
[reporter]
which is preparing to host this battle
between OM and Paris Saint-Germain.
Don't let them fool you.
Do what you have to.
[reporter 2] holding its breath.
The Vélodrome
is already at a boiling point,
just a few hours away
from the most anticipated match of year,
OM vs. PSG,
with both teams poised
to take a significant lead
at the top of the championship.
Let us remind you that PSG
is currently third with 24 points,
and Marseille's fifth with 23 points.
If they are victorious today,
Olympique de Marseille
could take the lead in the championship.
[cheering]
[Tapie] Guys, this isn't
our first big match or our last,
but tonight is about
more than just soccer.
Tonight is about history.
I want for us to destroy PSG.
To eat them alive!
Go, Pelé!
It's not just OM vs. PSG tonight.
It's the people
versus the Parisian elites.
Boli, you asshole!
He's gotta push up!
What the fuck are they doing?
Damn it! They look like they're asleep!
It's the little guys from Marseille
against the Parisian aristocrats,
those with the so-called power,
who think we're less than shit.
[whistle blows]
[Tapie] What the fuck?
What is he doing? Raymond!
Tell the ref to get his cards out!
That's a red for Colleter!
I don't wanna see a soccer match tonight.
I want to see a war.
I don't want soccer players.
I want soldiers!
Deschamps, pass the fucking ball!
So are you ready or not?
[team] Yeah!
Raymond, 25 minutes!
I can't hear you. Are you ready or not?
[team] Yeah!
No way! Against Paris, we don't play.
We win!
- Yeah!
- Move!
[cheering]
[whistle blows]
[dramatic music playing]
[drums beating]
[crowd chanting] OM! OM! OM!
[crowd chanting]
Tapie! Tapie! Tapie! Tapie!
Tapie! Tapie! Tapie! Tapie! Tapie!
Tapie! Tapie! Tapie! Tapie! Tapie!
Tapie! Tapie! Tapie! Tapie! Tapie!
Tapie! Tapie! Tapie!
TAPIE THE BOSS
FANATICS
[Tapie] Today, we're gonna
turn the tables on them.
So they think they're better.
They hate us. No problem.
We'll answer with facts.
I want a major plan
to restore social cohesion, hmm?
And I don't want stupid proposals
about the distance between hedges
or the depth of swimming pools.
I wanna revolutionize peoples' lives.
Is that clear?
Mmm.
- [knock on door]
- Yeah?
Excuse me, Minister.
Your appointment is here.
Ah, great. Let her in.
Hello.
- Hey, Amina. How are you?
- I'm fine.
[Tapie] Make yourself at home.
- Thank you.
- This is your home, by the way.
Always good to remember that.
I asked Miss Diallo to come here today,
firstly,
because she comes from the projects,
like me, for the record.
I want us to listen to her experience
and learn from it. All right?
We're gonna go back to fundamentals.
- Mm-hmm.
- [Tapie] Okay.
Don't worry.
I have as many degrees as you.
- I just didn't grow up where you did.
- And bam. Ouch.
That was for you. [chuckles]
All right, Julien, where shall we start?
Well, for me, one of the main things
is, uh, the reallocation of local tax.
[snores]
How long was I asleep? Come on, really?
Do you think we're going to stir up debate
with what did you say?
Uh, the the reallocation of local taxes.
See? Even you get bored just saying it.
I see why.
Often the least popular measures
are the most effective.
I don't think we have
the same concept of effective.
Amina, what do you think?
We should give
the projects more money.
As for the rest,
it's just a bureaucratic tap dance.
Exactly.
"Bureaucratic tap dance," I get that.
Well, you guys probably not so much.
[chuckles]
Where will we get the money?
The planet Mars?
Look, Serge, we know what you think
about all this, huh? Let yourself dream!
I mean it! That's where ideas come from.
You dream to get ideas.
Then throw everything on the table
and see what's feasible.
Not the other way around.
[sighs]
Walt Disney, heard of him?
Well, it worked all right for him!
[man] To sum up, this 200 million
that you need by the end of '93,
simply put, if I may be blunt,
well, to be perfectly frank,
it's delicate.
Legally speaking, as well as economically,
The group's debts are colossal,
and there's no parachute.
And?
We're just auditors, ma'am,
not magicians.
Yes, but I asked for a solution.
Mrs. Tapie, this amount of debt is like
a nuclear bomb waiting to go off.
[imitates explosion]
Kids from the projects hate you
because nothing you say
is connected to their real lives.
From childhood, they're excluded.
They're treated with suspicion and racism
by a government that looks down upon them.
Their entire lives, they hear politicians
telling them to integrate
or complaining
about their noise and smells.
It's poverty that increases crime rates,
not skin color.
You see? That's exactly
what we need to guide our plan.
Except any plan
that comes out of this dusty palace
won't do anything
but make more paperwork for the trash can.
No, we're gonna make concrete proposals.
Like what, the jam-and-toast initiative?
Sure, it's nice. It's generous.
But it won't change
France's attitude toward the projects.
Mmm, we agree on something at least.
The French people aren't racist.
Well, they will be if all they hear
is the media trashing us all day.
Right, which is why we should act.
Sure, but we both know you can't act
if people aren't listening to you.
Isn't it your job to speak
to the French people?
He's a minister now. Not a TV star.
Excuse me?
Sorry.
Amina's right.
We need to roll out the big guns.
I'll debate our plan
with its main opponent,
Jean-Marie Le Pen.
That's what people want, isn't it?
A show. They want blood.
This is our chance to win them over
and advertise our plan.
It's a great idea.
Except, I'm sorry, but the Élysée
will never agree to a debate like that.
Ah, Élysée, Élysée, Élys
Is that the only thing you can say?
You're starting to piss me off.
This is exactly what the President wants,
someone who can shut up guys like Le Pen.
It's that simple.
Why do you think I'm here?
Listen to me. You you have to understand
there are rules here.
The rules. Hey, Amina,
tell him about the gym
that burned down in Stain three days ago.
- Oh, this is ridiculous.
- Who's in charge here? You or me?
We're not on a soccer field here.
The referee is the President,
and I advise you don't undermine him.
Well, if you don't like it,
you know where the door is.
[sighs]
- You'll have my resignation tomorrow.
- Glad to hear it.
[somber music playing]
Would anyone else like to join him?
No? Can we start working? Good.
Julien, you're the new chief of staff.
Stéphanie will assist you.
Call Anne-Marie at TF1
and set up the debate.
[doorbell rings]
[footsteps]
[door opens]
- [door closes]
- [woman] Hello, sir.
Good evening. Charles Coupant.
- I'm here to see Bernard.
- [woman] Ah, he's not here.
- [Coupant] Is Dominique here?
- [woman] Yes, sir.
[Coupant]
I'd love to say hi if she's not too busy.
- [woman] Follow me.
- [Coupant] Thank you.
There's a Mr. Coupant for you.
Uh
- Good evening, Dominique.
- Good evening.
[Coupant sighs]
As the years pass,
you only grow more beautiful.
- [chuckles]
- You're too kind.
I still remember the first time
I first met you at Diguet-Denys.
- You were pregnant.
- Yes, that's right.
I suppose you came to see Bernard.
I'm sorry.
I don't know when he'll be home.
Oh, it's
I've been trying to get through to him
for weeks by phone.
They keep telling me he'll call back.
He never does.
Well, I have time.
[dog whimpering]
- Hello.
- Ah, hey, boy.
- [Tapie mumbles]
- Hey there.
- Aw.
- Hmm?
- I'm gonna do some work.
- [Tapie] What a good dog.
Come here!
- [Coupant] That one over there.
- [Tapie] Ah! Hey!
[chuckles] Well, well, Mr. Deputy.
- Ah, Mr. Minister.
- Ah, well
I just thought it's been a while
since I came by to visit, so
- Yeah.
- Huh?
How is everything?
How is business in over in Asia?
- [Coupant] Oh, it's great.
- [Tapie] Just marvelous.
I'm afraid
I'm gonna have to be a little rude.
I don't have a lot of time to talk.
I'm very busy.
Oh
What brings you here?
My 13 million.
I'm sorry?
[Coupant] You played a good game, Bernard.
Your big speech about Diguet-Denys,
putting on that big show for the Asians,
with a few smiles and winks
from Dominique.
But your luck ran out.
I've been contacted
by the Office of Finance.
Mr. Tapie, allegedly, based
on documents sent anonymously,
received a check for 13 million francs
from the sale of Diguet-Denys
to the Tchang group.
Just know I I've seen a copy
of the check, Bernard, huh?
What are you going to do?
Are you gonna deny that?
Not at all.
Do you know why?
'Cause you're a dwarf, Charles.
A little dwarf.
You know what we did in the Middle Ages?
We put dwarves in canons to see
how far we could launch them.
I doubt it's still legal,
but I think it's funny.
- I want 60 million in reparations.
- [scoffs]
I'll let you off the moral damages,
because I know you have none.
Now, obviously,
if we can't resolve this amicably,
I reserve my right to seek justice
through the legal system. Hmm.
Is that it? Are you done?
You're forgetting one small detail.
I'm indestructible.
[Coupant] Mmm.
Well,
we'll find out.
Ma'am.
[tense music playing]
That's a funny one.
[Tapie] Clowns are funny, you know.
Go. Don't get lost.
[Coupant] You neither, Bernard.
You neither.
[Tapie sighs]
[whispering] What a fraud, I swear.
Does he think he's in Crooks in Clover?
Next time, he'll have
a gun hidden in his raincoat.
Hey, what's he talking about?
- Uh, pfft, nothing
- When were you gonna tell me?
[at normal volume] It's nothing. Nothing.
- It's not nothing. It's a catastrophe.
- [sighs]
He's got nothing on us. He's a leech.
Why else do you think
he'd come here in person?
But how can you brush this aside?
While Nicole and I
Are you finished? I'm tired, all right?
I've got other things to do. Thank you.
[scoffs]
Mr. Tapie, uh, we hear you talk all
the time about housing, unemployment,
but isn't this all just
another one of your shows?
No, and I'm not sure what gives
you the right, uh, to say that, uh
Uh, no, it's not a show.
Just look around
at what we've put in place.
No, sir. I'm sorry,
but that's way too soft.
Wait. Who?
You. But also you as well.
Le Pen will hit below the belt, so there's
no point in preparing careful answers.
- It'll sound fake.
- We still need to get the point across.
But I think we need to see a Bernard
that's a little more primitive.
It's you against Le Pen
in the boxing ring.
He won't listen to your points.
He's gonna hit you where it hurts.
Primitive?
Yeah.
- What would you say to me?
- Well, I'd say that For instance,
- Mr. Tapie.
- Yeah?
Do you think that clowning around
on weekends in stadiums
gives you political legitimacy?
[Tapie] Okay.
Go on. What would you say?
- Me?
- Yeah.
Um
- Well, I don't know if it'll be as good
- Go on. Don't worry.
- I'll do it in my style.
- [Tapie] Go ahead.
Okay. One, two, three.
Um [clears throat]
Mr. Tapie,
You are a you are a puppet!
You are a clown, aren't you?
You're just another Tartuffe.
You're a
- You're a braggart
- [Amina] Hold on. Stop.
Here. Mr. Tapie, answer me.
When did you reveal yourself
as the fool?
When you did your game show
or sat on the Council of Ministers?
Mr. Le Pen, I might be a fool,
but I'm a winner. There.
- That's that's awful.
- Uh!
- Who cares you're a winner?
- I agree, Dad. That was terrible.
But it's true.
I am a winner. That's the case.
Okay, I'm no PR flack, but you need
to counterattack without showing it.
[Tapie] Hmm?
For example, if he attacks you on soccer,
you respond with Marseille.
On immigration,
you respond with unemployment,
and on the projects, you respond
with the youth, but without a show.
No details, no promises.
We'll deal with the plan's substance
another time.
Okay. [clears throat]
Go on, Julien. Give it to him.
[Julien] Okay.
Uh, good. I'll do it without notes.
[sighs]
You represent nothing.
You're just a minister
appointed thanks to your friends
in the Élysée, are you not?
Listen, Mr. Le Pen.
I have a responsibility, huh?
And I have a duty
to the people of France to be here.
Oh yeah? Oh yeah? So, uh
You think you you think you can
Let's talk about the people, hmm?
I got five million votes last election.
Then, if I understand,
80% of the population
doesn't like you, Mr. Le Pen.
- [chuckles]
- [Tapie] There. Got him.
Oh, so in fact, you can count?
When you grow up on the street with ten
francs a week, you learn how to count.
Of course, growing up bourgeois,
it might not be worth it. Hey!
Strange, you didn't exactly know how to
count when you fired everyone at Wonder.
Well, I
- Hang on. Check your facts.
- Hmm?
Mr. Le Pen, at Wonder,
contrary to what you may think,
there were no layoffs, strictly speaking.
- So you have no response?
- I know where you're going.
There's a difference
between layoffs and redundancy.
- No, there isn't.
- Yeah, well, you're right.
[Amina] You don't have any problem
firing people, do you?
And you don't have any problem blaming
Black and Arab people for unemployment.
I've never accused Black people.
Ah, now that's interesting,
'cause I would love to hear you say
they don't cause unemployment.
Well, they don't. It's the politicians,
the people you defend.
I see. Let me tell you something.
You know nothing about the economy,
nothing about industry.
I don't see how you can know anything
about unemployment.
This is ludicrous.
Buying a few companies for one franc
doesn't make you a big genius.
At least I didn't inherit my money.
At least I've never been accused
of running a scam in court.
- Neither have I.
- [Amina] You have.
You made a fortune off the poor,
and now you're lecturing them.
You want everyone to think
their problems are from immigrants.
Not immigrants, no.
You, Mr. Tapie.
It's you who is causing problems.
Mr. Le Pen, you stir up hate in France
against innocent Muslims all day.
You already said that.
Saying it 10 times doesn't make it true.
I'll say it ten times
'cause it's the truth!
Is that all you have to say, Minister?
It's obvious you're only in politics
to protect your little ventures.
So you're not doing it for the people.
You know nothing of their history.
Oh, but of course you know their history.
The French aren't stupid!
They can see you're a clown.
- Okay, we get the idea, Amina.
- You're a liar.
A pathetic demagogue.
You've fired more workers
in a decade than
Okay, you can shut up.
You've made your point.
Now that's enough, huh?
I mean, seriously, we're good.
[Amina] You see that?
Now, you've lost control.
And so he's just won the debate.
It's okay. This is why we're practicing.
Hate me if you want. That's why I'm here.
But no hate against Le Pen.
Show dignity. Take the high road.
You can let him roll around in the mud.
But you? You're there to present your plan
and to be taken seriously.
[pensive music playing]
[Dominique] So what happened with Coupant?
[Fabien] We held
a parallel negotiation with the Asians.
It involved a kickback,
which was supposed to then
Uh, was this kickback illegal?
Well, in Coupant's eyes, of course.
- Well, I assume
- And in yours?
- [Fabien] Uh
- What could he do to us?
[Fabien] Nothing. Nothing.
His company was removed
from the court's database.
- He can only intimidate us.
- [Dominique] Okay.
And his political allies?
Could the Right form some sort
of coalition against Bernard?
Honestly, I'd be surprised.
But it's a possibility.
I'll keep a close eye on things. Okay?
Thanks, Fabien.
[Fabien] Take care.
[sighs]
[Nicole in German]
I already told Mr. Tapie. We can try that.
Can we try it? Yeah.
Exactly.
Thank you so much.
I'll call you back.
Goodbye.
[in English] Well?
Bayerische agreed to renegotiate
the debt at 30%,
But only if we cut sixty percent
from the payroll at Adidas
and a quarter of the group's.
[sighs]
All right then.
- Dominique, we still have a huge problem.
- What?
I don't see
how Bernard will ever accept it.
Well, we'll convince him.
[sighs]
Will you be all right?
I'm scared.
Since Bernard joined the government,
everything's falling apart.
I accepted,
'cause he's the reason I'm in politics.
He once said Marseille and I
would make a great love story.
I do love Marseille.
I share in their excitement every week.
But it's not just Marseille.
I love every city in France.
And I'm here because since I was
appointed Minister for Urban Affairs,
I've been working on a housing plan.
I'd like to remind you that this country
has been governed for years now
by a certain number of politicians.
And all the problems
that exist in France today
are because these people are incapable
of solving the main problem.
We call this problem immigration.
Hang on. Just because you have
a big mouth and loud voice
doesn't mean what you say
has any truth to it.
Leave it up to him
and it's open season on Muslims
for the fanatics at Front National.
[Le Pen] You, sir, are an egotist,
a fraud, and that's the truth!
You're here now only to argue
with Mr. Le Pen.
You're putting on a circus act.
You're treating this like pro wrestling.
[Le Pen] What about the people?
- We have people right here.
- [Le Pen] The people are sovereign!
What people? 85% of them hate you,
so don't speak for them.
[Le Pen] You're ridiculous!
You're a fool, Mr. Tapie!
Now, hold on. That's out of line, sir.
Don't you try to threaten me, Mr. Tapie!
You'll regret it.
Why? On account of your bodyguards?
- No, me! Me!
- [Tapie] Look at you!
- [moderator] Please, gentlemen.
- It's a declaration of war.
He thinks he'll get the red carpet
just because he's confronting Le Pen?
You need to get him in line quickly.
[Tapie] it's that we're abandoning
young people.
My housing-projects plan has
concrete solutions to help young people
'cause youth is the future of France.
What you did wasn't just a mistake.
It was a grave error, Mr. Minister.
It's much worse,
and you will be held to account.
But the President can tell you himself.
How are you, Mr. Minister?
I'm well. Thank you, Mr. President.
I wanted to congratulate you.
Such honest, straightforward,
forceful speech in front of Le Pen.
No one on the left can do that.
I mean it. No one!
Well done, Minister.
Uh, thank you, Mr. President.
I look forward
to presenting my housing plan.
And I look forward to hearing it.
I'm sorry, Mr. President,
but this sets a precedent
Thank you. I have work to do.
So do we. Back to the front.
Goodbye, Mr. President.
Mr. Special Advisor.
[suspenseful music playing]
[suspenseful music builds]
Hello, Bernard.
Oh, come on.
Can't you just leave me alone?
- At least we knew we'd catch you here.
- Hi, Michel.
- I know what you're gonna tell me.
- You do?
Of course. The group's doing bad.
The level of debt, catastrophic.
My involvement with the companies, zero.
Bayerische's pulling out.
The ship's sinking. We need to sell.
I probably heard that at least ten times
when we were at Wonder, Nicole.
Well, you're on the right track,
but this time it's much worse.
We have solutions for you.
Oh yeah? Be quick,
'cause in 15 minutes we take off.
[Dominique] You won't like it,
but you need to listen until the end.
If you wanna keep Adidas,
we need to relocate to Asia.
All production.
We keep the administration in Europe.
You're fucking kidding me.
You want me, Mitterrand's minister,
to cut thousands of jobs?
It's not a big deal, Bernard.
Everyone's doing it.
Nike, Reebok, Puma.
They're all moving
to Cambodia or Thailand.
Besides, you're a leftist, Bernard, right?
That's all about being international and
Plus, if you're giving jobs to workers
in China or Cambodia,
that's hardly a crime.
You're joking. right?
Is there a hidden camera here, huh?
[chuckles]
Okay, in that case,
the one solution is to sell Adidas.
We have no choice.
We aren't managing
some butcher shop in Paris here.
This is the Tapie group. Huh?
It's our empire.
One day Victor will run Adidas,
and his son after him.
It's a family business.
It's not going anywhere. Period!
Do you know where I was this afternoon?
At the Élysée.
You know what the President said to me?
Why are you laughing?
It's just I think you're losing your mind.
I think both of you are losing your balls.
Do you really think the banks are gonna
risk ruining a minister of the Republic?
- Why not?
- [scoffs]
Seriously, tell me why.
With all the enemies you've made.
What about Coupant?
What do we do if he goes to court?
We're not outside the system anymore.
We did it. It's good. We're in.
Do you think
Mitterrand's gonna let me down?
He needs me.
I'm the only one who gets results.
Do you know what the President
is going to do?
He's gonna call Lyonnais Bank.
He'll ask them to make an effort.
And do you know what they'll do?
They'll make the effort. There.
I'm done here, Bernard.
I didn't work this hard building you up
to watch you crash and burn.
I'm truly sorry. I can't.
- Come on, Nicole
- I just can't.
[somber music playing]
I hope you can, Dominique.
Goodbye.
Good for you.
The rats are leaving the ship.
Aren't you going to do something?
Oh yes, I'm going to do plenty.
For France. Excuse me.
[tense music playing]
[jet engines revving]
[Tapie] There is no destiny.
There are only excuses for doing nothing
and the belief that we can't make it.
Every kid languishing under
the fluorescent lights of a tower block,
we're going to care for.
We're gonna give them hope,
because it's not us versus them.
By caring for them,
we care for all young people in France.
Is there an elevator in here?
- It doesn't work, sir.
- It doesn't work?
- Not at all.
- Well, we're gonna change that.
- [girl] Are you serious?
- I know what I'm talking about.
I know what the solutions are.
Because even those
who have a good start in life
don't want to be complicit
in an injustice.
It's like a team.
If they know they can't win,
why would they play?
Give them hope and they'll join the game.
And they'll give it their all.
I guarantee you.
Yeah!
When we abandon these kids,
who wins after we lose?
Jean-Marie Le Pen.
The Front National. That's who.
[suspenseful music playing]
Those are just the basics of my plan,
but I can sum it up with a short phrase.
We're gonna give hope back
to the young people in France,
and it's gonna be great. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Minister.
That's all very interesting.
Hand over your plan to the Bercy.
They'll examine it all in great detail.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The Minister for Agriculture
has the floor.
[Minister] Thank you, Mr. President.
[seagulls squawking]
- Ma'am.
- Thank you, Nicolas.
SUMMONS
HIGH COURT OF PARIS
[suspenseful music playing]
ORDERING MR. BERNARD TAPIE
TO PRESENT HIMSELF JULY 8, 1992
TO ADDRESS DAMAGES DUE TO:
MR. CHARLES COUPAN
[ominous music playing]
[man] Mr. Tapie, this way, please.
- [overlapping chatter]
- [reporter] How do you feel about this?
[reporter 2]
A comment for Charles Coupant?
- Uh I didn't quite hear the question.
- [cameras clicking]
[reporter] It's about the charges
against you, Minister.
Oh, well, listen.
[overlapping chatter]
We have just presented
the Council of Ministers with a plan
Yes, but when did you hear
that Charles Coupant was suing you?
One part about infrastructure,
the second part about narcotics,
the third part deals
with employment discrimination,
and the fourth part
Do you have any plans to appear
before Judge Blanchard?
Look, all right.
That's enough. That's enough.
[overlapping chatter]
- [reporter] Mr. Tapie!
- [reporter 2] Minister!
Mr. Tapie?
- [reporter 3] One more question.
- Why would I?
[reporter 2] Do you think this is
a ploy by the Right?
Does he regret your appointment, Minister?
[reporter 4]
Have you discussed it with Mr. Bérégovoy?
[reporter] Have you spoken
to the President, Minister?
Go ask him.
- I'm gonna crush Coupant, really.
- [Dominique] Are you sure?
Look, I How can you doubt me?
I'm gonna crush him.
[Dominique]
Okay, you're gonna crush him, but
Stop stressing. What's wrong with you?
- Hey, Dad?
- Yeah.
Michel Deboize from Figaro
and Sandrine Kilt from L'Obs are coming.
I've gotta go. Two journalists are
coming to write a story about my plan.
[Dominique] You know
what I think about that with everything.
Enjoy the boat. Relax.
How's the weather there?
- [Dominique] It's sunny
- Great. Well, enjoy it, huh?
In a few days, no one will remember.
- [Dominique] I hope you're right.
- I love you.
So, what is the housing plan?
Well, my team and I
conducted a month-long consultation.
Hundreds of interviews and field visits
we did ourselves, me and them,
at the projects in Marseille,
projects in Paris.
What you have in front of you here,
it's not some fanciful dream.
It's not a fantasy.
It's a concrete proposal
to solve the problems in the projects.
And how is this different
from plans that have come before?
Well, I'd say it's in the DNA.
We're not just dicking around.
We're not just slapping
a fresh coat of paint
[phone ringing]
Excuse me.
- [woman] Minister?
- [Tapie] Yes?
- The President wishes to speak with you.
- Sure, I'll hold.
[line ringing]
- [Mitterrand] Good evening.
- Mr. President.
- [Mitterrand] I hope you're well.
- Very well. You?
[Mitterrand]
I've heard about your difficulties.
Yes, I'm aware a case
has been made against me, but, uh,
honestly,
I don't really know what it's about.
[Mitterrand] It's probably nothing
but a political ploy.
The Right wants to discredit
the government
by torpedoing a big-name minister.
You have my full support, Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Truly, that means a lot.
[Mitterrand] I still think it's important
that we talk anyway
to go over, how do I put this,
your defense strategy.
- [Tapie] Mm-hmm.
- [Mitterrand] Come by when you can.
- [Tapie] Of course, Mr. President.
- Goodbye, Mr. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. President. Goodbye.
"In the umpteenth example of what
is quickly becoming a pattern,
the President of the Republic
took the liberty of calling
the Minister in person
to propose no less
than putting pressure on the judiciary
to silence the case."
"To silence the case."
This Michel Deboize
is certainly well-informed.
He made it up. He's lying, Mr. President.
It's absurd.
He can't have made up
what really happened, Mr. Minister.
Our telephone conversation.
I'm sorry, Mr. President.
I trusted you, Mr. Tapie.
Well, uh, we just have to deny it, right?
No, it's better we do nothing,
It'll die down by itself.
He doesn't have any proof.
Listen to yourself.
You're being ridiculous.
You will present your resignation
to the Prime Minister tomorrow morning.
You can't do that, Mr. President.
[Mitterrand] Listen.
I'm not happy about it either. Believe me.
But I
I presented you my housing plan.
It's gonna revolutionize French society.
Yes, with jam and toast.
You said it was great
at the Council of Ministers.
No, he found it "very interesting."
In politics, you know what that means?
That it isn't feasible.
Look, Mr. Pres
- Please, this is grotesque!
- [Tapie] You can't do this to me.
- I'll do whatever you want.
- [buzzing]
- Tell me and I'll do it.
- That's not the point.
- I swear on everything
- That's not the point.
[somber music playing]
I never thought you'd be this fragile.
[dramatic music playing]
I'll drive myself.
Very well, Minister.
[starts car]
[somber music playing]
- I never believed it.
- It's not his fault.
Are you sure?
[reporter] The Prime Minister's office
has issued a press release
stating that the Minister
for Urban Affairs, Bernard Tapie,
has presented his resignation
to Pierre Bérégovoy
and asked to be relieved of his duties
to better ensure, in his own words,
his defense,
including against public opinion.
As you know, for the last few days,
Bernard Tapie has been embroiled
in a scandal.
At 49 years old, Tapie was
Minister for Urban Affairs for only 52
[suspenseful music playing]
[dramatic music playing]