It is a mediocre series that disappoints in many ways, but some of the characters are entertaining and it probably holds some nostalgia factor for some.
Tante Estelle (Paul's aunt) is delightfully pleasant and the actress created a charming character. Paul is like wallpaper, which is how he was written. The actor really didn't have much to do. It's also hard to buy him as attractive love interest to a woman like Virginie. (Note: this a kooky take on Paul & Virginie novel by Bernardin de St. Pierre, which also served as premise for The Blue Lagoon movies.) This set up pf uptight or serious husband with a zany wife who gets into mischief would later be revisited in Dharma & Greg, and, of course, copied by The Nanny.
Anicee Alvina's Virginie is leave her or take her. Her personality can be viewed as charming or annoying. Her antics are not always funny and some go on way too long. Example: the running across town being pulled by a dog. After a few minutes, it's "enough already!" Same with the ear-splitting concert: it dragged on way too long.
The director should have cut what didn't work (making such scenes way too long, including the nightmare at the concert) and focused on bettering elements which are here sorely missing. Like:
For a French woman, Virginie is not particularly well dressed. Often times, she is a downright frump! The cinematography isn't particularly great, the lighting and image quality is mostly poor. The music score goes on way too long. It is often too much and way too loud, drowning the actor's voices. This is very annoying. Anicee had poor posture. She isn't elegant and never quite looks "pretty", although she wasn't bad looking at all. But she isn't well put together and lacks a certain je ne sais quoi, she lacks charisma, although she somehow had screen presence.
The concierge often steals the show by bringing the comedy, such as in the final episode when he disguises himself as Igor, the bulter. (Due to his excellent acting, beard that concealed nothing and especially his fake accent, I had completely missed that it was him, until he yanks his fake beard!)
This is part comedy, part satire on Parisian life and the mores of the era. The clash between the rich and the working class. Making fun of the rich but also showcasing the poor taste of the middle class. (Those posters or painting on the couple's walls are dreadful and one is uglier than the other!)
There is quite a bit of "triggers" in the sense of men putting their hands on and trying to have their way with Virginie. (France had no laws pertaining to touching someone against their will, so this must reflect something prevalent back then.) There are naked women on those dreadful lithographs on the walls. There is quite a bit of nudity. A woman covers her bare breasts with a magazine showing the indecent photo of a woman with bare breasts and spread open (!) legs, equally bare. And on and on. None of the characters react to any of this inordinate nudity, as if it were commonplace.
The show takes place in Paris but fails to showcase the beauty of the place. The Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower are shown in close-ups, but not particularly beautiful images. The lighting again isn't particuarly good, but the weather didn't seem bad when they filmed. No dark skies, no gray skies, no sludgy ice on the ground. But somehow there are no flowers filmed outdoors, there is no beautiful decor in the apartment (except for the pilot, it is dreadful looking!) again the clothes are pretty bad and all the small elements that contribute to making you rewatch a series are sorely lacking.
There is some comedy, a few funny scenes, but they tried to hard with Virginie's antics. Most are unfunny and she is randomly rude to people who haven't done anything to her. Sometimes her rudeness is funny (when she claps back at women who have a problem with her driving or blocking the road) sometimes unfunny (when she disparages the market workers for not having the vegetables she seeks).
Overall, it's not an unpleasant watch. Every episode has at least 6 vignettes going on, different quirky situations Virginie puts herself in. I think the show would have worked better if they'd curbed the nudity and focused on beautifying their star with better clothes, some jewelry and other accessories and better makeup. Anicée's acting left a lot to be desired. (She fails to react when Paul trips and falls, which most likely wasn't in the script. She is supposed to be in love with him, yet continues to search the bed, in E01S01, without once glancing at him. I guess she couldn't improvise. Some actors are nothing without a script and she proved to be in that category.)
It ought to be noted that all 3 protagonists are now dead. They all died before their time was supposed to be up (50s and 60s) I forgot to look if the concierge is still alive.
The pilot is pretty good, with a pretty cool apartment. It's sadly downhill from there, but it's not unwatchable. 6/10 from me.
