Pretty much every wife of a French president over the last 20 years deserves a saucy biopic: before Brigitte Macron, who met Emmanuel when he was her high-school student, there was Carla Bruni, the smoldering model turned chanteuse who married Nicolas Sarkozy. (There is no room here to describe the many mistresses of François Hollande.) But Bernadette Chirac—the well-bred and self-effacing wife of Jacques Chirac, who was president from 1995 to 2007—was boringly comme il faut: good deeds and Chanel suits, with a blind eye to the husband’s infidelities. The President’s Wife, which stars Catherine Deneuve as Bernadette, reimagines her marriage as a First Ladies’ Club romp. Ignored and disrespected, Bernadette decides to steal her husband’s limelight, helped by a makeover by Karl Lagerfeld. The President’s Wife openly admits that the storyline has only a loose connection to facts, but it’s a sly comedy with more than a grain of truth about French mores, politics, and marriage. (quadcinema.com) —Alessandra Stanley

There are countless memoirs about Hollywood, but what makes The Golden Hour special is that the bittersweet tale is told by Matthew Specktor, whose father, despite being in his early 90s, still works as a top talent agent. A word to the wise: Do not become an agent if you do not want your heart broken by a longtime client who defects (Good-bye, Danny DeVito) or if you are not larcenous enough to steal a client (Hello, Robert De Niro). Specktor recalls growing up surrounded by actors and their families. His childhood friends included Emilio and Charlie, two of Martin Sheen’s children, who got their kicks out of staging fake home invasions on their own family. Specktor also recounts his career as a movie executive: from when his studio wanted tentpoles such as Titanic to small-budget films that made big financial waves like The Full Monty. He laments that some of his dream projects, like Shirley Hazzard’s novel The Transit of Venus, were never made into films. The Golden Hour may be nonfiction, but in its emotional depth and poetic insight, the book belongs on the same shelf as the novels What Make Sammy Run? and The Day of the Locust. ($32, amazon.com) —Jim Kelly

My desire for the perfect notepad led me to Japan—Ito Bindery of Tokyo, to be exact. Founded in 1938 as a bookbindery, the firm, now third-generation-owned, started by producing brand catalogues and expanded over the years to promotional materials and, eventually, high-end stationery. The expertise that comes with a foundation of bookbinding yields the manufacture of truly superlative handmade memo blocks and notepads. Ito ditches mechanical mass production, individually cutting each piece to achieve unparalleled precision. My favorite is the coverless Drawing Pad in gray, featuring 70 sheets of silky paper, micro-perforated at the header for a perfect tear. ($18, ito-bindery.com) —Spike Carter

Is “spring travel season” a thing? Let’s make it one. A three-day mini-break is always a good idea, and that’s where Mulberry’s Islington Bucket bag comes in. This crossbody style has an adjustable strap as well as a top handle, so it can be used to tour around a city while also dressed up for dinner. Its soft, roomy interior eclipses most travel-friendly styles, which tend to be too narrow. This one has room for a wallet, analog camera (imagine!), and a new novel. (Playworld, by Adam Ross, perhaps?) Fastened with Mulberry’s signature Postman’s Lock, it’s easy to access—and easily secured. Now the only challenge is picking your favorite color. ($1,295; mulberry.com) —Ashley Baker

There’s one union the downtown girls of New York can all say “I do” to: Prounis and Desert Vintage tying the proverbial knot. Starting next week, Jean Prounis’s eponymous jewelry brand will debut its Vow Collection alongside vintage bridal wear, carefully sourced from designer Salima Boufelfel’s Manhattan and Tucson boutiques. The pieces and garments have been expertly selected as symbols of devotion. And if wedding bells aren’t ringing for you, that’s all the more reason to devote yourself to a one-of-a-kind diamond ring and a Chloé silk blouse. Just remember to make an appointment first! (Price available upon request, calendly.com) —Victoria Herman

The multi-talented Greta Bellamacina is perhaps best known as an actress, but the literary crowd is equally taken by her writing, which has a tendency to wrench the heart. The London-based author’s new collection of 44 poems, entitled Who Will Make the Fire, explores themes of digital overload and feelings of isolation in modern life. Some of her most powerful writing concerns nature and our urgent need to reconnect with it—which seems especially timely in this moment of global disruption. ($20, amazon.com) —Ashley Baker