The Ideal

Octave Parango, once the creative brain behind a famous ad campaign in 99 francs, now works as a model scout in Moscow. He enjoys a glamorous life with private jets, luxury apartments, and a revolving door of Russian models. Then The Ideal, the world’s top cosmetics company, lands a scandal and pulls him into its orbit. He has seven days to discover a new muse, guided by Valentine Winfeld, a stern visual director who runs the shoot with an iron will. Cruising through post-Soviet Russia, he must balance his appetites with the ethics of the beauty industry while trying not to lose himself in the glare of fame. The tone blends sharp wit with a surface, hinting at vanity's fragility.

Directed by Frederic Beigbeder, with a screenplay by Bruno Lavaine, Yann Le Gal and Nicolas Charlet, The Ideal appears to be an original story rather than a direct adaptation. It foregrounds character as a vehicle for satire within the industry.

Box office details are not widely reported, and the film had a modest release that did not spark major international grosses. In several markets it played to limited audiences and drew opening numbers globally, with earnings remaining modest across regions.

The film did not secure major award nominations or wins, and it circulated mainly outside the top prize races. While some critics noted its audacious take on advertising culture, awards bodies largely kept their distance, and The Ideal received little recognition from Cannes, the Globes, or the Oscars at all.

Reception was mixed, with reviewers calling out the film's sharp satire of beauty culture and corporate image, while criticizing pacing and tonal shifts. It probes how appearance, power, and money shape choices in a world obsessed with transformation and the ethics of selling dreams today for advertisers, models, and audiences.