I will admit that I initially felt duped by La Révolution because I try to watch everything blind. Thankfully, it was only a matter of seconds before I realised that the French Revolution period drama I expected was actually more of a vampiresque re-imagining of events that led to it.
Would I like it though? A tall order considering I find modern supernatural drama such a turn-off, and make no-mistake, the story is as vacuous and predictable as most. Still, I found a lot to like: The set-pieces, the costumes and the CGI recreation of pre-Revolutionary France, for example. It is interesting how mediocre writing can become so palatable when these aspects of a period production excel by so much.
The lead actress, Marilou Aussilloux, delivers a remarkably commanding performance as the show's heroine, Elise de Montargis, and this comes as a huge surprise in light of her minimal acting experience. The last time I encountered her, she had a silly bit-part in a single episode of the comedy Dix Pour Cent, and it's amazing to think she has evolved so much in such a short time. The lady doesn't merely have stage presence - she absolutely owns the screen whenever she is on camera.
Likewise there are sterling performances from Colin Beal as Elise's servant Ophélie, Amir El Kacem who plays a young Joseph Guillotin, not to mention Julien Frison who was born to give us the flamboyant and utterly villainous Donatien de Montargis. Blink and you may well miss the criminally under-utilised Jérémy Gillet - reduced to a background role as a perpetually neurotic messenger after his breakthrough on the 2019 TV series, Mytho.
Anyway, I will be honest, I was glad when the last episode was over but I'm not disappointed I watched it. I'm rating it 6/10 because that's where I find myself on the see-saw of dubiety. An entertaining visual treat, but not particularly edifying.
