Fair Play (2006) Synopsis & Summary

Filmmaker Lionel Bailliu expands his Academy Award-nominated short film Squash (2000) into a bitter and nail-biting commentary on the cutthroat nature of office politics with this feature debut concerning a shrewd businessman who takes his scheming employees on an ultra-competitive outing. Firm head Charles (Eric Savin) may be top dog today, but ambitious worker Jean-Claude (Benoît Magimel) is determined to make his way to the top no matter what the cost. Though his workmate Alex (Jérémie Rénier) is a nice enough guy, Jean-Claude is constantly digging for dirt on his fellow employees, and will not hesitate to exploit that information if it means the chance to get ahead. Now, as a humiliating game of one-upmanship emerges among the employees and Jean-Claude ponders just how to use the latest bit of incriminating information salvaged from Charles' loose-lipped secretary, Nicole (Marion Cotillard), the contentious office head announces a plan to take his workers on a high-energy outing that includes such potentially risky activities as rock climbing, white-water rafting, and navigating the treacherous stone underpasses of a seemingly bottomless subaqueous cavern. - Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide