(Cannes) One of the most anticipated productions of the festival is, in fact, a series intended for a platform. Surrounded by the scent of scandal and starring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel The Weeknd Tesfaye, The Idol, selected out of competition, has only one asset that is unanimous: the remarkable performance of its actress.
To those who might be asking the question, no, the selection of a prestige series intended for a platform is not a first at Cannes. Irma Vep, by Olivier Assayas, was presented on the Croisette just last year. More than 10 years ago, this same Assayas presented here Carlos, revealing at the same time Edgar Ramirez. That said, never had we seen a series cause so much excitement among festival-goers. Preceded by a sulphurous rumor, The Idol was treated to a gala screening at the Grand Théâtre Lumière.
Il est d’évidence difficile de porter un jugement définitif sur une série comptant six épisodes alors que seuls les deux premiers ont été présentés. Le fait est que The Idol, une réalisation de Sam Levinson (créateur de la série Euphoria), souligne un peu trop lourdement cette intention d’offrir une production audacieuse et provocante. Prenez Entourage, saupoudrez ça un peu 9 semaines ½ et de 50 nuances de Grey, et vous obtiendrez à peu près ce que les créateurs de cette série (Reza Fahim, Abel The Weeknd Tesfaye et Sam Levinson) ont tenté de faire. Avec, hélas, plus ou moins de bonheur.
Absence de complicité
Une seule certitude : Lily-Rose Depp offre ici une performance remarquable, dont la qualité est bien supérieure à celle de l’œuvre qu’elle doit défendre. La partie du récit se déroulant à l’intérieur de la garde rapprochée de Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), une superstar de la musique pop qui prépare son retour sur scène après avoir dû se retirer pendant un an à cause d’une charge mentale trop lourde, est très bien menée. Mention à Jane Adams, impériale dans le rôle de la directrice du label pour lequel Jocelyn enregistre.
L’ennui, c’est que le récit se concentre davantage sur la rencontre fulgurante entre la chanteuse et Tedros (The Weeknd), un gérant de bar qui développera avec la vedette un lien charnel très fort. Lily-Rose Depp enflamme l’écran, Abel Tesfaye, pas tant. La complicité épidermique que ces deux êtres frappés d’un coup de foudre devraient en principe partager n’est pas du tout tangible à l’écran. Et puis, disons-le, The Weeknd n’est pas très bon comédien.
PHOTO ANTONIN THUILLIER, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Abel The Weeknd Tesfaye, Lily-Rose Depp et le cinéaste Sam Levinson à la projection officielle de The Idol
Au cours d’une conférence de presse tenue mardi, Abel Tesfaye, qui compare le personnage qu’il joue à Dracula, a expliqué que l’idée de cette série était au départ de proposer une fantaisie un peu tordue – et sombre – sur l’industrie de la musique.
« Le personnage de Jocelyn [Lily-Rose Depp] is somewhat inspired by my own experiences, except that, unlike her, I was lucky enough to make good decisions in my life. »
What is described in The Idol is a bit of a different view of what I might have experienced if I had made bad choices. We wanted to create something special, fun, that can make some people laugh and irritate others.
Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd)
Including several scenes of nudity (one sequence echoes the function of intimacy coordinator), The Idol thus reflects the sexualization of culture, which Sam Levinson attributes to a particular phenomenon.
“We live in a very sexualized world, particularly in the United States, where pornography now has a very strong influence in the psyche of younger generations. This is particularly reflected in the world of pop music. »
“Jocelyn is a performer in all aspects of her life, not just her professional life,” added Lily-Rose Depp. Even the way she dresses always reveals something about her. The character’s occasional nudity also echoes his emotional transparency. »
false rumors
To a question from a journalist who reminded him of the magazine’s report RollingStone Referring to a chaotic production that faced multiple issues, Sam Levinson denied all alleged behind-the-scenes plots.
“When my wife made me read the article, I looked at her and said, ‘I think we have the biggest show. of summer!” We are well aware that our series is provocative. But these allegations are completely foreign to me. My only regret is that they intentionally left out all the things in their article that didn’t fit the story they wanted to tell. »
PHOTO ERIC GAILLARD, REUTERS
The day after the official premiere of The IdolSam Levinson, Lily-Rose Depp and Abel The Weeknd Tesfaye were a bit more laid back…
Lily-Rose Depp added: “It’s always a bit sad and discouraging to read mean and untrue things about someone you have affection for. This did not reflect my experience at all. »
Anyway, the team received a long standing ovation during the official screening held on Monday, and Sam Levinson, son of Barry (Rain Man), was very moved.
“It was like one of my biggest dreams coming true. When I was 10, I didn’t know anything about Cannes, but I heard that pulp Fiction won the Palme d’Or. It struck my mind, even though I was too young to be allowed to watch the Tarantino movie. It was thanks to Cannes that I started to take an interest in French cinema and international cinema. »
The Idol airs June 4 on HBO/Crave.