Greek Salad is a new French TV series by Amazon Studios which came out in April of this year. Its success is no surprise given the list of its crew: Roman Duris, Kelly Reilly, Cécile de France, Lola Doillon, Cédric Klapisch… Does it look familiar? Yes, it’s “inspired by L’Auberge Espagnole” as it acknowledges discreetly at the end of the series. If you haven’t watched the 2003 film by the same director / producer and some of the same actors, don’t worry. It doesn’t have much connection in plot, but if you do have, you will enjoy several nodding “aha”s. I personally like Greek Salad much more. Aliocha Schneider didn’t give me much confidence in the first half of the first episode. He looks too young and too unsophisticated compared to the character-packed Roman Duris young or middle-aged, but he gained me eventually. On the other hand, I am instantly drawn by Megan Northam, young but full of character even in a look or a sneer.
Refugees, feminism, Ukrainian war, China, NGOs, New York start-ups and investments… Greek Salad is definitely more politics-sensitive than the romances of youth of L’Auberge Espagnole. In the latter, Xavier complains and struggles all the time about the messiness of his life, which is honestly, moaning for nothing in my opinion. All his messiness is just a normal part of the growing up experience of any normal and lucky middle-class youth in a developed country. Did he know that I also dreamed about applying for the Erasmus program but never got the chance? The young people in Greek Salad are much more rebellious, adventurous, mature and responsible, no matter where they come from, especially all the females (of course, now all the TV series strive to heroize the females to be politically correct). In 2003, lesbian was still a big thing for a French university guy. In 2023, transgender is a taboo and unacceptable to the old generation of Brunei even after death. In the end, Tom gave up the opportunity to work in Hong Kong for a Chinese multinational company in the last minute out of his love for Reem, a Syrian refugee who works at the NGO. Both know that they are from two different worlds, but who cares? Love may not last, but it is real at that moment, and that’s enough.
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I don’t know why I am so hooked on The Hookup Plan (Plan Coeur). A Netflix French TV series of three seasons made between 2018 and 2022, plus a 45-minute stand alone “The Lockdown Plan” dedicated to the pandemic. It’s the cliché formula of several best friends forever living in big fashionable cities such as Paris, who love, hate, support, sabotage each other in every aspect of each other’s life, but specially love life of course. With some witty dialogues, juicy characters, twisty plots and stylish outfits, it always works well. Maybe in the depth of our hearts, we all need such a close circle of friends in front of whom we can be naked, in flesh and soul. Despite all the dramatic merde they’ve been through, even if without the happy ending, we would be still envious of those women and men in their early 30s, who lived their life and laughed their hearts out to the fullest.
Theme song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIauUr_s11o&fbclid=IwAR0WlUyfmrZwqE5Bifkzzy15vXS9sfn50ztDs745XTEZQP6IbvhHdSL1pJg |
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May 2024
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