Author: THE HOBBLEDEHOY

Michael Stevenson, aka Dai Bando, Johnny Foreigner, Monsieur Pas De Merde, is a blogger of French and British culture. His blogs "Pas De Merde" and "The Hobbledehoy" have been called "marvelous" by some, and "meh" by others.

Ah, zut! All the French references you missed in Call My Agent! – by a French person

Most of the acclaimed French series is written in a way that gives it international appeal, but some niche cultural references may fly under the radar. Resident French person Clémence Michallon explains

By Clémence Michallon

As a French person, I have experienced the success of Call My Agent! with the same pride I imagine parents feel when their child takes their first steps. We French people are good at a lot of things – sulking, gazing into the abyss with a touch of ennui, and rebelling against any and all forms of authority – but television isn’t our strongest suit. We love watching it, usually in English and with subtitles. Of course, there are some good TV shows kicking around (Spiral, The Returned). But great French TV shows? They’re like solar eclipses. They happen approximately once a decade, and when they do, it’s truly a sight to behold.

Call My Agent! is a rare, indisputably great French TV show. Set at a fictional Parisian talent agency called ASK, it tells the story of a group of agents trying – and often failing – to keep their famous clients happy and successful. Each episode focuses on one or several guest stars – real-life French celebrities who play fanciful versions of themselves. Past guests have included Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Monica Bellucci (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Irréversible, Spectre), and Isabelle Huppert (The Lacemaker, The Piano Teacher, Elle).

The series just supposedly wrapped up with a fourth season, although co-creator and co-producer Dominique Besnehard has teased a possible fifth instalment on French television. In any case, the fourth series has been met with acclaim, including by The Independent, which gave it a four-star review.

I can only approve. But as I devoured the latest season, I found myself wondering how much of the show’s humour might become lost in translation. Most of Call My Agent! is written in a way that gives the show broad, international appeal, but the series is also peppered with more niche references to French pop culture.

As mentioned above, I’m French. Really French. Grew-up-watching-primetime-TV-in-France French. Went-to-school-with-the-guy-who-plays-Gabriel-in-Emily–in–Paris French. But I’m aware not everyone had the (mis)fortune of coming of age in France in the Nineties – a time when the country was doing rather poorly at the Oscars (10 submissions, four nominations, one victory) but excelled at football (won the ’98 World Cup).

If you’ve watched season four of Call My Agent! and would like to understand who Dany Boon is, why everyone keeps calling the actor in episode one Patrick when it’s clearly stated that his name is Franck, and what the big deal is about Télérama, read on. Here is my humble guide to the French references you might have missed in Call My Agent!. Pairs well with tripe crème brie and a nice Merlot.

Franck Dubosc, the main guest star featured in episode one, is a very well-known comedian and actor in France. His credits are many, but among them is the film series Camping. Over the course of three films released between 2006 and 2016, Camping has told the story of Patrick Chirac, a man who loves to go, well, camping. Among the franchise’s catchphrases is the infamous: “Alors, on n’attend pas Patrick?” – which translates to “So, you’re not waiting for Patrick?”

Uttered by a speedo-clad Dubosc to a group of campers who dare have drinks without him, the sentence has become so infamous that even this writer, who has never watched a Camping movie, got the joke when it made its way onto Call My Agent!.

 

Continue reading “Ah, zut! All the French references you missed in Call My Agent! – by a French person” →

The travel interview with Pauline Croze, singer

She has had the guitar (and voice) that itches for almost 30 years. Since then, she scratches them a little (a lot) to offer us very pretty songs, five albums and tours here and elsewhere. To celebrate the year 2021, Pauline Croze is back with a new single called “Solution”. “Sketched” by designer Joann Sfar, the singer offers songs mixed with syncopations specific to contemporary urban pop. Between two songs , the young woman tells us here about her travels from Belgrade to West Africa, her love for Daft Punk and Mac de Marco and her little travel habits. Selected pieces from a three-part interview. 

Pauline Croze, before departure

You who have to sleep often at the hotel as part of your job, can you describe your home to me?
At home it’s quite stripped down, I like order, clarity…. The walls are light, it’s a very bright house, it’s a place where I must feel good. I also like working there. My room is very uncluttered, there are plants, flowers, a lot of books and comics.

A world tour, does that tempt you or would you have tempted?
Yes that would have tempted me, but I never had the guts to do it. I can panic very quickly when I am lost in a place. Sometimes even when I am in a place and I am lost, I can no longer read the names of the streets… That is to say!

Are you the type to pack your suitcase in advance or hard before departure?
No, suitcase in advance, even when it’s for vacation, you quickly realize that you take a thousand things that are unnecessary … I hate being loaded. I like the bare minimum.

What should you always carry with you in your cabin baggage?
A notebook, pens, an essential oil that soothes me, like bergamot or vetiver, a book of course …

Where are you going to sleep next or should you have slept (due to COVID)?
At the moment I am often at home, so no improvised bed! Continue reading “The travel interview with Pauline Croze, singer” →

“Leon the Professional” – 10 year Reunion

Léon: The Professional (French: Léon), is a 1994 English-language French action-thriller film written and directed by Luc Besson.
Léon stars Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and Natalie Portman (in her film debut). The plot follows Léon (Reno), a professional hitman, who reluctantly takes in 12-year-old Mathilda (Portman), after her family is murdered by corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration agent Norman Stansfield (Oldman). Léon and Mathilda form an unusual relationship, as she becomes his protégée and learns the hitman’s trade.

Comme une Française: Practice Your French with the Netflix Series “Lupin”

Comme une Française

Have you heard about this one? Lupin is a brand new French series that’s been streaming on Netflix since January 8th. I really enjoyed it — so much that I binge-watched it in just three sittings! In today’s video, we’ll learn more about this well-known French character, Lupin, how he influenced the Netflix series, and why this is such a great option if you’re interested in practicing and improving your French oral comprehension. (There are MANY different dialects in this show!) Let’s dive in.

Take care and stay safe. 😘 from Grenoble, France.

Géraldine

‘Humiliation’: French see Covid-19 vaccine flops as sign of decline

France’s slip from frontrunner to laggard in the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine has sparked dismay among politicians, reigniting a debate about the country’s scientific prowess and its global standing.

France, the land of vaccine pioneer Louis Pasteur, has a long and celebrated history when it comes to medical breakthroughs.

With the world-renowned research centre that bears his name in Paris, the Pasteur Institute, as well as leading pharma group Sanofi, the country looked well positioned in the race to produce a jab against the novel coronavirus.

But the Pasteur Institute announced Monday that it was abandoning research on its most promising prospect, while Sanofi – an early frontunner in the vaccine race – has said its candidate for inoculation will not be ready before the end of 2021 at best. [ . . . ]

Continue at FRANCE24: ‘Humiliation’: French see Covid-19 vaccine flops as sign of decline