Job par Alexis Lebrun October 26, 2022
Currently performing on the stage of the Théâtre Marigny (full) to present his new show (Boys Boys Boys), the comedian and actress adds a new string to his bow by signing and directing the eight episodes of Désordres. So why should we watch Florence Foresti’s first series? The answer in five points.
Florence Foresti as we have never seen her
Orders is an autofiction, which means that its creator plays a fictionalized version of herself. But not just any, since we find Florence Foresti at the time of the writing of her show Epilogue (2017), where she is confronted with the white page syndrome. And rather than looking for inspiration, the comedian prefers to take advantage of the absence of his daughter (who is in joint custody with her father in the episodes of the series) to enjoy single life with her three best friends. .
“Enjoy” is a very big word, because the Foresti of Orders leads a complicated life, between the painful daily solicitations of invading admirers, the disappointments of flirting and more serious problems. Because if the series is obviously a comedy that links crazy situations often very funny (musical sequences of lip sync included), Florence Foresti also tackles serious and very topical problems.
An uninhibited view of depression
The first of them goes through all the episodes of Orders, because its creator has suffered from it for a long time. And she makes no secret of it, she wants to help lift the taboo that remains around depression in France. Florence Foresti therefore does not hesitate to stage her “anxious disorders” in the series, where a mysterious character regularly appears by her side when she is brooding.
She also talks about her panic attacks, her phobias such as loneliness and the recurring anxiety of death, or her consumption of antidepressants, on which she discusses with a lot of humor. And this is undoubtedly the greatest merit of Orders : changing the public’s view of people who suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders.
A relevant point of view on the daily life of women in their forties
But this is far from being the only important theme treated in the series. As On the Verge last year, Orders is interested in sorority by putting in the foreground a group of four women. And as in the Original Creation by Julie Delpy, they are in their forties, long remained very little visible in the series. Here, most are single mothers like Florence Foresti, and their dialogue evokes with refreshing freedom the desire of these women, in a society that makes them invisible in the market of seduction.
Similarly, the character of Foresti is anxious like many people by the fear of aging, which gives rise to some tasty scenes, in particular facing the “perfect” body of a young girl in a yoga class, or when she fantasizes on a seller. Finally, the solidarity between the heroines is also expressed in their exchanges on the difficulties of joint custody, and in an episode which intelligently deals with the question of abortion.
This is Florence Foresti’s first series!
She is the most popular comedian in France, and she is used to being in front of the camera – especially in series like The flame et Plane tree on CANAL+ or during the presentation of the Césars – but Florence Foresti waited a long time before realizing one of her dreams: directing her own series.
By his own admission, Orders is a project that dates back to at least 2016, and she has left her mark all over it, since in addition to her role as lead actress and screenwriter, she also directed all the episodes, which is a great first for her.
On the other hand, she had already tasted writing a screenplay for the film Hollywoo in 2011, in the company of Pascal Serieis who also accompanies him on Orders. Be that as it may, for all fans of Florence Foresti – and there are many of them – the novelty mentioned is casually a small event.
Prestigious inspirations
And if Florence Foresti has long dreamed of having her own series, it’s because she loves it. His favorite series have somewhat inspired the creation of Orders, notably Sex and the City (OCS)which she quite hilariously parodies in one episode.
His other references? Seinfeld (Netflix), The L Word, The Office version Ricky Gervais (CANAL+), Friends (Netflix), Dream On, Veep (OCS)the Louie of Louis CK and above all the Better Things by Pamela Adlon (CANAL+).
Prestigious inspirations that could be slightly paralyzing, but from which Florence Foresti manages to detach herself rather well, while having the luxury of giving them a few winks that series fans will appreciate…
Orders episodes 1 to 8, available on CANAL+.