Second round: which actress did Cécile de France replace in Albert Dupontel’s film?

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What is it about ? Disgraced political journalist placed in the football section, Miss Pove is asked to follow the between two rounds of the presidential campaign. The favorite is Pierre-Henry Mercier, heir to a powerful French family and a novice in politics. Troubled by this candidate whom she knew was less smooth, Miss Pove launches into an investigation as astonishing as it is exhilarating.

Sandrine Kiberlain expected

Sandrine Kiberlain, originally considered to play Miss Pove, was ultimately replaced by Cécile de France. If she had been there, she would have found Albert Dupontel after 9 Months Farm (2013), which allowed her to receive the César for Best Actress in 2014.

Originally a Netflix documentary

Second Round has its origins in the documentary Bobby Kennedy For President, which focused on Robert Kennedy’s 1968 campaign and its terrible conclusion. His speech in Indianapolis, where he announced the death of Martin Luther King, moved and impressed Albert Dupontel: “For the first time I saw the power of an improvised and therefore sincere political word, its emotional and poetic power (he quotes from memory a poem by Aeschylus). And in the end the only city in the United States where there is no has not had a race riot is Indianapolis.”

“From there, my incredible mind wanted to build a fable: What if Robert Kennedy had said nothing about his true political and social intentions? A few weeks before his assassination, Romain Gary had warned him “Is it that you realize that they are going to kill you?” Robert Kennedy replied that he knew. This determination, both heroic and resigned, was the starting point for my imaginary character Pierre-Henry Mercier.”

Tribute to 3 legends

At the very beginning of Second Tour, Albert Dupontel dedicated the film to Bertrand Tavernier, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Michel Deville. The director justifies this choice: “Bertrand Tavernier, in addition to being a great director, was a legendary film buff who in recent years nourished me with his film knowledge and encouraged me until his last days with lists of films to see . With him, I rewatched films that I had ignored and discovered other extraordinary ones.”

“Jean-Paul Belmondo was for me, as for millions of people, an icon of childhood and youth and symbolized the genius of an actor and the pleasure of living. I spent a lot of time with him until the end of his life, he impressed me for his joie de vivre. And finally, Michel Deville, while after Bernie, I thought and felt banished from the profession, he called me to offer me the main role of Sachs’ Disease, thus considering myself for the first time as having acting value.”

Nicolas Marié, obvious

The character of Gus was written for Nicolas Marié, a favorite actor of Dupontel’s who he starred in Désiré, Bernie, Le Créateur, Enfermés outside, Le Vilain, 9 Months firm and Goodbye idiots: “Her expressiveness, her vis comica and here also her enthusiasm guided me in the writing. I wanted a highly identifiable character, in relation to the complexity of the candidate and Miss Pove’s in-depth and thoughtful investigation.”

“And he delighted me with the youthfulness of his playing, his sincerity and once again his expressiveness. His idols are De Funès and Fernandel, major references for me, and who are very evident in his playing”confides the director.

“Stabilobosse” the staging

Albert Dupontel placed emphasis on the fable aspect which existed from the start in the scenario, while seeking to “stabilize” it through the direction. He specifies : “Contrasting lighting, camera movements, varied focal lengths in the same scene, often hyper-cut editing and very present music. Whatever the subject I deal with, politics, justice, the consumerist world, I try to make beautiful things that are sometimes rustic. In terms of lighting, I had enormous help from the cinematographer Julien Poupard who succeeded in putting in place the often radical light that I spoke to him about.”

“The use of low intensity and often moving lights gives the image this aspect of a contemporary tale. And for 20 years, I have been working with Cedric Fayolle, VFX supervisor and in supervisor, I remember each time that there is “super”, an adjective that sums up his artistic and professional abilities well. He participates in the project from the first versions of the script and prepares the vfx aspect of the project well in advance.”