Being dragged out of bed by a police charge and getting rid of the last vestiges of sleep in a Greek law enforcement van.
This is not necessarily how we imagined our reunion with the world of
the Spanish Inn
and its still somewhat lost adults.
At the request of Prime Video, Cédric Klapisch has agreed to give a sequel to his trilogy.
But rather than taking stock of the midlife crisis of Xavier (Romain Duris) and Wendy (Kelly Reilly) who appear from time to time, he preferred to focus on their children, Tom and Mia.
Well he took it.
Like dog and cat
With this brother and this sister, who get along like dog and cat, the director of En corps, assisted by his accomplices Lola Doillon and Antoine Garceau, draws a twirling and tender portrait of the youth of the 2020s. More committed.
Less carefree and party girl than their parents.
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So as not to miss the mark, like a “
boomer
”, Cédric Klapisch has surrounded himself with five screenwriters aged 25 to 30.
Under their leadership, he took his duo to Athens, the cradle of democracy and anarchism, at the gates of Europe and, above all, at the forefront of the migration crisis.
Mia (the Megan Northam revelation) lives in Athens and is an activist in an NGO that helps refugees.
Fervent follower of the start-up nation, Tom (Aliocha Schneider) has only one dream: to launch his eco-friendly box.
The death of their maternal grandfather, who bequeaths them a decrepit building in the center of the Greek capital, precipitates the reunion.
Tom integrates the flatshare which occupies the top floor of his property and brings together friendly Erasmus students (an air of deja vu) from Italy, Croatia and the Czech Republic.
Mia arrives there with her protégés and colleagues.
The understanding between these two worlds is not immediately cordial.
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“
Greek salad speaks of the end of the world because of the climate, of the invasion of Ukraine which could precipitate a third world war.
Like The Spanish Inn, the series speaks of Europe but of an EU in post-Brexit metamorphosis, deciphers Aliocha Schneider.
Tom assumes his bohemian bourgeois heritage: he is tidy, wants to get married.
In contact with his much more disorderly sister, he takes a lot of slaps from the world.
It gives him a comic and naive side
”.
Quite the opposite of Mia, through whom Cédric Klapisch evokes #Metoo, abortion.
"
As a woman and an activist, Mia is less protected.
She confronts the balance of power that she challenges.
She is in search of autonomy, seeks to counter family values.
She's a loner, she seeks her brother's approval
,” says Megan Northam.
Cow humor and love
Their bickering gradually gains in flexibility, humor and above all tough love.
“
We filmed out of order.
The filming experience brought us closer together.
We lived, in a strange mise en abyme, the same building.
We took drinks from one or the other.
Alyosha played us his music.
The building manager offered to cook us a big meal.
Athens is an extraordinarily friendly city
,” recalls Megan Northam.
Greek salad finds its galloping rhythm halfway through.
A little gem, the fifth episode brings together children and parents at Christmas.
Xavier, Wendy, their lesbian friend Isabelle still smoke joints… But they have become tenderly outdated nerds for the next generation.
With this game of mirrors, Greek Salad, which dares to take an astonishing tragic turn, watches time pass and defies ease.
“
I find it beautiful to seize this moment when parents and children are on an equal footing in adult life
,” professes Megan Northam.
Benevolent, the historical stars took them under their wing.
“
Romain Duris guided us, told us everything that this special role had represented in his career.
What this represents for the public, remembers, grateful, Aliocha Schneider.
He continues to write to us, to hear from us.
»
