An elderly billionaire woman gives hundreds of millions of euros to a younger gay artist she is close to. Her daughter files a complaint for abuse of a vulnerable person and a scandal erupts.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.7/10
IMDb: 6.4/10
Letterboxd: 2.87/5
TMDB: 6.1/10
Director
Thierry Klifa
Production
Récifilms, Versus Production, Haut et Court, Playtime, Cinémage 19, RTBF
Cast
Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Marina Foïs, Raphaël Personnaz, André Marcon, Mathieu Demy, Joseph Olivennes, Micha Lescot, Paul Beaurepaire, Yannick Renier, Anne Brochet, Patrick Sobelman, Paul Gasnier, Jean-Baptiste Lafarge, Juliette Goudot, Douglas Grauwels, Olivier Bonnaud, Pierre Hubert, Claude Metoulou, Laurent Caron
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy French scandal comedy-drama with strong performances and a juicy premise, but the execution seems uneven and overlong. It should appeal most to viewers who enjoy social satire, performance-driven melodrama, and stories about money, power, and manipulation.
Best for
fans of French social satire
viewers who like performance-led dramas
audiences interested in wealth-and-scandal stories
people drawn to Isabelle Huppert’s screen persona
fans of morally messy relationship dramas
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted thriller
you dislike privileged-elite satire
you need a consistently sharp comic tone
you are put off by uneven pacing or broad direction
Overview
The Richest Woman in the World has the kind of premise that practically invites scandal: enormous wealth, a vulnerable older patron, a younger artist, and a family dispute that turns public. That setup gives the film immediate tabloid energy, and the Letterboxd reaction suggests the cast, especially Isabelle Huppert, is the main reason to watch.
Worth noting
What seems to hold it back is execution. The film appears to lean on familiar beats of social embarrassment, media frenzy, and emotional manipulation without fully sharpening them into either a biting satire or a devastating drama. The result is a movie that can feel more interesting in concept than in rhythm.
Bottom line
Still, for viewers who enjoy French bourgeois melodrama and stories about power expressed through intimacy, gifts, and dependency, there is plenty here to chew on. It is less a clean recommendation than a curiosity with real star appeal and enough scandalous texture to keep the conversation going.
Top Letterboxd reviews
talking ben (1.5★) · 604 likes
vous mlez foutez sous taxe zucman ceux-là
Diane Delacruz (3★) · 554 likes
Isabelle Huppert qui sniffe du poppers en boîte : un des plus grands moments du cinéma français.
petit poisson (3★) · 452 likes
Je sais pas c’est quoi le pire entre les moments d’interviews en mode Le Jour ou tout à basculé ou la tête de Marina Fois et Isabelle Huppert qui font une apparition en fondu quand elles lisent des lettres
chayma (1.5★) · 330 likes
je veux plus JAMAIS voir laurent lafitte faire le chien
Lottie (2.5★) · 309 likes
le film le plus homosexuel et homophobe que j’ai vu
1998 · Drama · 1h 41m · R · Curator 9.4/10 (234.9K ratings) · Where to watch: MUBI
A family gathering that detonates hidden abuses and long-buried resentments.
Topics
French drama, social satire, bourgeois melodrama, wealth, scandal, power dynamics, queer relationship, family conflict, class critique, performance-driven