“Some would call it abuse of weakness. Me, I call it love“. In a few words, the twisted psychology of Guillaume alias Amaury, Nathan or even Roman (and no doubt many other names), is revealed to us in voice-over. Jonathan Zaccaï, who recently distinguished himself at the cinema in Downton Abbey, embodies this serial seducer with multiple identities, catching women in his nets, before stealing their money, or their reason. Odile Vuillemin (Camille), Flore Bonaventura (Oriane), Helena Noguerra (Mathilde) and Élodie Frégé (Iris) interpret her prey, which will eventually release its claws. A scammer and his victims, who appeal to the sorority for revenge, this is the pitch of the miniseries The man of our lives, available exclusively on Salto, before its broadcast on M6. A synopsis that is reminiscent of the true story of Simon Leviev, exposed by the Netflix documentary series, The Tinder Scammerand who defrauded many women by dangling them the great love or the hero of You, Joe Goldberg, who takes his obsessions for romantic feelings. This is one of the successes of this miniseries, having built typical characters, but with detailed personalities, to avoid clichés.
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Should we watch The man of our livesthe series with Odile Vuilemin and Jonathan Zaccaï?
Jonathan Zaccaï slips easily into this role of “bastard”, which he carries with conviction. With his charming face and his sometimes disturbing gaze, he is perfect for bringing this unsympathetic but charming character to life. Telling the events through the prism of the villain is the interesting bias of this fiction which shows how someone intelligent can use social codes and new technologies to manipulate those around them. Small clever detail of the scenario, the same bracelet that he offers to all his conquests as a trophy as serial killers do. A simple object thus makes it possible to underline the psychopathic character of this scammer.
Charismatic and moving easily from one register to another, arousing attraction and repulsion, Jonathan Zaccaï gives real depth to his character and approaches this thriller with the necessary bit of levity while remaining odious. The voiceover is reminiscent of the character of Joe Goldberg in You, where the hero deciphers for the spectator, the totally distorted vision he has of the world. The heroes also share this chameleon side, of a psychopath who studies his environment to use its codes. In this essential pivotal role, the Belgian actor is the main asset of this fiction, which would not last if this seductive hero did not also seduce his audience.
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One for all, all against one!
In a cast with multiple female roles, each actress has her part to play and her own personality. Each brings her personal touch to her character, her strengths and her weaknesses, thus demonstrating in subtext that, whatever her profile, any woman can be the victim of a scammer. Another message delivered by this fiction: sorority. Far from being competitors or enemies, these women support each other.
Over the episodes, one of the interests of the plot is to see their union take shape. This equality is not found at the level of the game. If Flore Bonaventura, Odile Vuillemin and Helena Noguerra are convincing, Élodie Frégé (who sings the same song over and over) and Bérénice Baôo are not up to the trio. Through these different portraits of women, other interesting themes are also addressed. That of the difficult relationship between a single mother and her teenage daughter, of a self-effacing young woman and her overprotective father or even of the conflicting relationships between sisters. Despite the flaws of this thriller, we let ourselves be carried away by the richness of the scenario and its well-constructed plot, served by solid actors.
The four episodes of The Man of Our Lives are available on Salto.