Twelve years after “Poupoupidou”, director and screenwriter Gérald Hustache-Mathieu reunites with his character David Rousseau in the offbeat series “Polar Park”. To discover on Arte.
You probably remember this strange and poetic film Poupoupidou, released in 2011? The story of a writer who finds his inspiration when his path crosses that of a woman convinced of being the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe. All in a unique setting: Mouthe, the coldest town in France.
If you’ve never seen it, do yourself this favor because, 12 years later, the character of David Rousseau – still played by Jean-Paul Rouve – returns in this series called Polar Park. It is a sequel, at least spiritual, in which the author – who has not finished with his problems of inspiration – this time takes an interest in a murder case.
Without doubting it, Polar Park by Gérald Hustache-Mathieu is the surprise series of this fall. It’s funny, surprising and very original. Please note, this is not a criminal investigation like any other: here, the serial killer transforms his victims into world-famous works of art, from Vincent van Gogh to Andy Warhol.
Faced with the images of Polar Park, the references do not fail to cross our minds. We think of Fargo by the Cohen brothers, for its snowy regions and its absurd tone, but also Twin Peaks by David Lynch for this small town that is as disturbing as it is intriguing. The director and screenwriter Gérald Hustache-Mathieu chooses, for his part, a film by David Fincher: “As if in Seven, Morgan Freeman had Mr. Hulot [le héros du film de Jacques Tati, ndlr] as a partner.”
“We strived to build a plot that would keep the viewer in suspense, ensuring that humor never detracted from the tension of the story.he explains for Arte. The offbeat tone makes its entrance through a gradual shift towards a more baroque universe. If comedy allows me to fight against the spirit of seriousness, it does not prevent depth, on the contrary, because it draws its source from the details that make up our lives.”The result lived up to expectations.
Polar Park is available on arte.tv and broadcast this Thursday, November 2 at 8:55 p.m.