Palais Royal!

Eugenia (Catherine Deneuve) is the queen of an imaginary European country. When her husband dies, the country is left without a king. Being the only one married, the youngest son (Lambert Wilson) is left to become the king, making his wife (Valérie Lemercier) an unconventional princess. This fabulous comedy directed by Valérie Lemercier herself, deliberately borrows the clichés of a dysfunctional royal family and twists them with ingenuity. Catherine Deneuve is wonderful as the dismissive mother and Queen, reminding us of the coldness of her character in Eight Women, as if the role was always written for her. Over the years Palais Royal! has become a classic of French comedy, and what better place to rediscover this gem than in the country it was inspired by?