” larry has a rocker posture. Director Patrick Sauvé immediately thought of Pink Floyd and The French Connection when he became aware of the story imagined by his accomplice Stéphane Bourguignon, whose main character is a fallen undercover policeman in search of revenge.
The man embodied by Benoît Gouin is indeed determined to find at all costs the author of the shooting who left his wife paraplegic and, therefore, seeks to regain his own integrity. “The founding and absolute reference for me in terms of spinning is William Friedkin’s feature film released in 1971, The French Collection, says Patrick Sauvé. I was inspired by it to film the reality of Larry, to observe him looking at others. »
If Stéphane Bourguignon and Patrice Sauvé are not their first collaboration – we owe them in particular the show life, life broadcast in the early 2000s on Radio-Canada — , the detective series genre is a new adventure for the successful writer and screenwriter. “An idea quickly occurred to me, however: writing dramas and writing comedy are two things that I am capable of doing. So what would happen with more action and suspense? A roller coaster ride at La Ronde! illustrates Stéphane Bourguignon about larrywhich it promises strong sensations.
Laughter, tears, anger, fear: his new miniseries wants to be connected to humans. “We dig into the psychology [des personnages] and their resources to get them out of the problems in which they sink from the first episode”, warns Stéphane Bourguignon.
Benoît Gouin, for his part, sees in the characters of the series a great complexity and “incredible moral dilemmas to defend”.
” In larry, there is a real momentum, a verve, but also a celebration of the happiness of involving the public”, underlines Patrice Sauvé, who seizes with the series the opportunity to show on the screen an aging character. “I’ve always wondered if there were any good stories about the second half of life, when you come to the age when you think about retirement and death. Here, Larry thinks more about reincarnating and reaffirming himself: he wants to learn more,” he adds. “It’s a wonderful curve to wear, but it’s extremely ‘challenging’ because drama, comedy and thriller coexist. »
To do this, the Sauvé-Bourguignon duo was able to rely on an eclectic cast made up of both familiar faces (Macha Limonchik, Monique Spaziani, Anglesh Major) and new names (Michaëna Benoit, Irdens Exantus). “Each role appears as a force present, like an island that we cross and which allows Larry to move forward, either because he confronts it or becomes attached to it”, points out Patrice Sauvé.
As for Benoît Gouin, the director salutes his unfailing dedication during the sixty days on set. “Some 60 days of filming, including 25 of stunts”, adds the one who plays the main role. “It was a challenge [physique] for me. I stopped drinking and I got in shape to try to sound out my character as well as possible, whom we love and then hate before regaining affection for him. The actor is convinced of this: Larry seduces because of his gray areas and his marginality, his flaws and his qualities. “Larry is a human being first and foremost, and that’s why we care about him,” he believes.
Anyway, the series will not leave anyone indifferent.