Video. In the series “A devoted friend”, Laure Calamy plays a false survivor of the Bataclan attack

LThe general public discovered Laure Calamy in 2015 on television in “Ten Percent”. Today, she has taken on important roles in the cinema, such as in “Antoinette dans les Cévennes”, which earned her the César for best actress in 2021. Since then, she has continued to show that she is a fabulous actress. We find her from October 11 on the Max platform in the mini-series “A devoted friend” in which she plays Christelle, a false survivor of the attacks of November 13, 2015 at the Bataclan, who became head of a victims’ association.

This series is a true story and adapted from the book “La Mythomane du Bataclan” (available in pocket format from Points) by Alexandre Kauffmann.

Lack of love

Chris lives alone with her mother, has no friends. On the evening of November 13, 2015, she was leaving a bar when around her, the sirens and flashing lights of ambulances and the police were panicking. Something bad happened. She takes the metro to go home and the travelers, some present at the event, are all on their phones. It was there that she learned about the Bataclan attack. In a train, Chris spots Émilie, a victim. This is when everything changes.

To “enjoy” his dreary life, Chris will then create a character who has suffered the attacks of the Bataclan terrorists in order to get in touch with victims, including Émilie. She will even, to support her story, invent a boyfriend, Vincent, hit by the attackers’ weapons and plunged into a coma in the emergency room. By subterfuge, she will visit him in the hospital every day to take care of him. The victims and their relatives will organize themselves into an association to help those who need it, psychologically, administratively or financially, for which Chris will become the spokesperson.

And as his influence grows, inconsistencies in his story come to light. Chris will do everything to silence them. But who really is this Chris and what are her motivations? Is she a mythomaniac who abuses others or a truly devoted friend?

A difficult role

Many will find themselves in this character of Chris suffering from a lack of love and consideration. But she falls into mythomania. The young woman lies to make connections, to build a “family”. She delights in her manipulations and mysteries, which gives a thriller side to this story.

Laure Calamy is incredibly accurate in this role – however difficult – of an inveterate liar. His anger, his doubts, his joys are magnificently filmed bringing crazy dramatic force to his character. We find alongside him an excellent cast with Annabelle Lengronne (Émilie), Alexis Manenti (Nicolas), Ava Baya (Myriam) and Arieh Worthaler (Léon). Carrying out this audacious project, we find Just Philippot, whose works like “La Nuée” or “Acid” also speak of intimacy and family.

Four episodes to watch starting Friday October 11 on Max.