French television studios have recently provided us with several series with female protagonists endowed with exceptional qualities. 'HPI' that I saw and wrote about two months ago, was dealing with a woman with an exceptionally high intellectual potential, which made her extremely competent in solving the most complicated murder cases, but also totally emotionally inadequate and socially unadaptable. The heroine of the 'Machine' series whose first (and for now only) season I finished watching has other qualities. She went through military training that included the martial arts of Kung Fu and gained a fighting experience that made her a formidable beating and - when needed - killing machine. Do the authors of the scenarios want to tell us - at the extreme, of course - that in order to succeed or just survive in today's world, women must not only be much better than men, but sometimes be downright superheroes? If we are to go by what we see in these two series, their special qualities do not bring them happiness and do not help them avoid the loneliness to which they seem condemned. What is certain, however, is that they make interesting heroines for TV series.
The story takes place in an area of France remote enough for the access roads to be at best two-way roads. A rather young but visibly scarred by life woman is assigned by the Human Resources Bureau to work temporarily as a mechanician at a factory of household electrical products. She is single and spends her time listening to fairly old rap and punk music tapes inherited from her mother, who had died a short time ago. Among his co-workers, those who lend her a helping hand are a maintenance technician named P. J. who turns out to be a staunch Marxist and Leila, a young accountant. The factory is about to be sold to a Korean concern. Workers resist, knowing that such transitions lead to worsening conditions and job losses, but economic and political interests go far beyond the local context. As the conflict becomes more and more violent (workers go on strike, the authorities call for the intervention of the police and other "maintaining of order" forces), the young woman whom those around her call Machine reveals her qualities as a fighter and puts them at the service of her fellow workers. At the same time we learn that the military authorities and a mysterious man who has personal reasons for revenge are on her trail.
The script is very well written, combining action films with films with social and political themes. It's snappy, well-paced, with episode endings that make viewers look forward to the next episode or start watching it immediately if they're watching on streaming. The actors' performances are very good, but two roles stand out. The role of Machine is played by Margot Bancilhon, an actress that I confess I have not noticed before, who is excellent, including in the scenes that demand physical qualities and talent for martial arts (or miming them). The role of the Marxist is played by JoeyStarr who is also a singer and producer of rap music, but who in this film does not sing but quotes Karl Marx copiously instead. I also liked the social part of the plot, but less so the political part. For someone who was born and who lived in Eastern Europe for quite some time like myself, the writings of Karl Marx and the concept of 'class struggle' have dark connotations. The jokes and the necessary detachment cannot erase the sensation of 'rehabilitation' of Marxism, whose harmfulness I experienced firsthand. It's the main reason this series gets a 7 from me and not a 9.
