He has small eyes, Laurent Lafitte on this Monday morning after the official presentation of
Tapie
at the Canneséries festival!
With Tristan Séguéla, Olivier Demangel, the showrunners, and the rest of the team, they celebrated until late at night the warm reception given by the public and critics to the Netflix fiction devoted to the famous French businessman. .
It began in 1997, when Bernard Tapie arrived in prison to the applause of the prisoners.
Flashback.
1966, the Tapie family makes fun of Michel Polnareff's television debut with
The Doll Who Says No,
competitor, in a telecrochet, of Bernard who actually wins with
Passport to the
Sun.
Bernard Tapy - it's more American, say the producers - already sees himself at the top of the bill, a star in France and, who knows, beyond.
A dream, the first of a long series, which will come to an end.
Laurent Lafitte Netflix
Other episodes
But the man is not lacking in resources.
He imagines a large household appliance store with discounts linked to a subscription – supported in his initiative by a Machiavellian businessman (Fabrice Luchini, perfect with menacing smoothness).
Then it will be Cœurs assistance, an insurance guaranteeing cardiac patients rapid relief in the event of a hard blow.
Then a printing press... The sequel will be the subject of other episodes, until 1997, when the series ends.
Definitely or not?
The future will tell!
Read alsoNetflix unveils images of Laurent Lafitte as Bernard Tapie and a release date for the biopic series
Fall seven times, get up eight and more.
Enthusiastic, charismatic, a good talker, bubbling with ideas, hard at work, the man deploys boundless energy to get out of his proletarian social class, without, however, ever denying his origins.
“
He is someone who has worked his whole life to become a legend, to make his name, Tapie, a brand.
He succeeded, the series is one of the proofs
, ”analyzes Tristan Séguéla.
Laurent Lafitte Netflix
Dear to the hearts of the French
The character remains dear to the hearts of the French, identification is easy and his sympathy capital astonishing.
The man was able to embark on his vision, his projects, as we can see, women to whom he released the great game of romance, business partners also whom he inspired.
Many left feathers there, suffered from it.
Because Tapie can turn out to be an unbearable, lying, selfish being.
A human, whom the series shows with a lot of tenderness and lucidity at the same time.
A little too much indulgence perhaps, do we wonder after the first two episodes?
“
The idea was not to make a portrait for or against, simply to understand his motivations
, answers Tristan Séguéla.
His quest for ascension will lead him to make mistakes.
»
We all have an intimate relationship with Bernard Tapie, very clear images of his physique, his voice, I didn't want to be his Guignols puppet
Laurent Lafitte
Laurent Lafitte is simply stunning in the role.
"
I wanted to avoid mimicry,"
he says.
Especially since it's a period of his life that we know less well, so there are not the visual codes that we will find in the following episodes - the 80s. I compose my version, in making sure that he's still there but that I don't totally disappear into character.
Because we all have an intimate relationship with him, very clear images of his physique, his voice.
I didn't want to be his Guignol puppet.
It was so intense over five months that I ended up being possessed by the guy, I couldn't think anymore.
I liked being so inhabited that things come by themselves.
»
Read alsoThe first photo of Laurent Lafitte in the skin of Bernard Tapie for Netflix
Brilliantly produced, effective and touching at the same time, thanks also to the supporting roles that she knows how to bring to life alongside the sacred monster, the series nevertheless suffers the wrath of the Tapie family.
“
When I shot the film
16 years or almost
with Laurent, I found that he looked like Tapie,
remembers Tristan Séguéla.
He confessed to me that he had the secret hope of playing it one day, I had that of telling his life story!
Ten years ago, when I informed Bernard Tapie of my project, he was against it, indeed.
But, if his career has inspired me anything, it is not to listen to those who say no!
»
Read also“Bernard had said no”: Dominique Tapie annoyed that Netflix is devoting a series to her husband