Wednesday 11 May 2022

HPI - SEASON 2, EPISODES 1 & 2: 2300 CALORIES & CHELOU/PAS CHELOU (TF1)

[Favourite of the Month][Spoiler-free review] The fabulous Audrey Fleurot (Spiral, A French Village) is back in HPI. The 8 x 52-minute second season of French private channel TF1's record-breaking comedy/crime drama starts tomorrow with episodes 1 & 2.

« C'est tout! C'est les chargeurs, c'est la voiture, c'est le gyro! C'est amener votre famille sur une scène de crime! C'est l'ensemble de votre oeuvre!»
 
Created for TF1 by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot and Nicolas Jean — two of the creators of La Mante — with Stéphane Carrié (1), HPI established itself as a ratings juggernaut in France and Belgium during spring 2021. Its first 8 x 52-minute season broke historic records (2) and ranked amongst the most watched dramas in Europe. Audrey Fleurot plays Morgane Alvaro, a mother of three (from two different fathers) with a disdain for authority and a 160 I.Q. that makes her HPI (Haut Potentiel Intellectuel, hence the title). She was a cleaning lady at the commissariat de Lille until Commissaire Céline Hazan noticed her abilities and offered her a consultant job in the team of Commandant Adam Karadec. This no-nonsense cop tries to adjust his style of policing to the red tornado, as genius as she's uncontrollable.
 
The actors alongside Audrey Fleurot are excellent: Mehdi Nebbou, who worked for Steven Spielberg or Ridley Scott and appeared on German TV in Allmen and Tatort and in the U.S. drama Homeland, plays Commandant Karadec. Céline Hazan is played by Marie Denarnaud (La malédiction du volcan). The other regulars are Bruno Sanches (Gilles Vandraud), Bérangère McNeese (Daphné Forestier), Cypriane Gardin (Théa) (3), Noé Vandevoorde (Eliott), Cédric Chevalme (Ludovic Mullier) and Christopher Bayemi (Luther) as Dr. Bonnemain. Clotilde Hesme (Lupin) joins them as Commandant Roxane Ascher. In 2019, almost 8m viewers watched Le Bazar de la Charité on TF1 so HPI could have been a hit on the sole popularity of the versatile Audrey Fleurot. Her chemistry with Mehdi Nebbou is fantastic and they make their characters irresistible. Their talents are aptly served by the quality of both the production and the writing, which ensure a balance between humour and the cases of the week.

« Depuis quand vous donnez des ordres? 
- Ben depuis que c'est mon enquête, tiens!»
 
The eagerly awaited second season, filmed between October 2021 and March 2022, starts with two brilliant episodes. In 2300 calories, Morgane and Ludo are together again. Morgane finds the dead body of a saleswoman in the shoe shop of a shopping center where she just made many purchases. Karadec's career and his professional relationship with Alvaro are in jeopardy when Commandant Roxane Ascher, of the internal affairs, investigates on what happened at Malo-Les-Bains (see Season 1 Episode 7). Turkish singer Dario Moreno and a Cannelé are two of the clues of this premiere, whose opening echoes the start of last year's first episode. Written by Julien Anscutter and Alice Chegaray-Breugnot. Oh Pretty Woman performed by Anne Sila (The Voice). With Marie Guillard (Magali Dupres), Jade Phan-Gia (Mai Pannoy), Élise Berthelier (Séverine Moutier), Tom Dingler (Stan Delgado), etc.

In Chelou/Pas chelou, Morgane Alvaro and her family must live at Gilles's place until they find a solution to a big problem. When a young woman is discovered shot to death near a road, Karadec learns that he can't be assisted by Alvaro because she's suspended. Morgane doesn't take it well but cannot resist to investigate remotely. Except that it's Gilles who gets the glory! Written by Winnie Vatimbella (Munch), Stéphane Carrié, Julien Anscutter and Alice Chegaray-Breugnot.  With Pauline Parigot  (Laëtitia Keller/Yaëlle Garambois), Marcel Gonzalez (Capitaine Rausart) and Mikaël Chirinian (Yannick Garambois). The great French actor Rufus returns as Henri, Morgane's neighbour. The now famous "HPIsm" surreal sequences, which illustrate Morgane Alvaro's thoughts or her behaviour, are more and more audacious and sophisticated. Episodes 1 and 2 directed by Mona Achache (Balthazar). Story arc by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Julien Anscutter and Stéphane Carrié. 
 
« Si vous vous faites virer. Votre QI, à quoi ça va vous servir?»
 
Produced by Septembre Productions and Itinéraire Productions with TF1 and the participation of Salto (the French streaming service). Co-produced by Be-Films, RTBF (Télévision belge), Umedia, Pictanovo and RTS Radio Télévision Suisse. Filmed with the support of Région Hauts-de-France. Jean Nainchrik, Anthony Lancret and Pierre Laugier are the line producers. Patrice Onfray exec produces. Produced by Anthony Lancret, Pierre Laugier and Bérengère Legrand. Music by Yannis Dumoutiers. Cinematography by Isarr Eiriksson. Editing by Joël Jacovella and Alexandre Landreau (Episode 1), Pascal Jauffres (Episode 2). Main title design by Brett & Cie (Crimes parfaits). Graphic animations by La Brigade du Titre. Visual effects by Super 35 Productions and Umedia. Supported by the Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral de Belgique and the investors of the Tax Shelter, with uFund. High Intellectual Potential (the international title of HPI) is distributed by Newen Connect. Seasons 1 & 2 are available on Salto. 
 
(1) Based on an idea from Nicolas Jean. Djibril Glissant and Franck Martins contributed to the series.
(3) Cypriane Gardin also plays in France 3's crime drama Police de caractères.

 
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