La dernière vague

This is by no measure essential viewing. However, it is an easy and quite compelling watch. There's a bit of an different scenario going on but the easy for themselves by not explaining anything and definitely not giving any answers so the narrative just goes along at it's own pace and without the obstacle of having to have any final revelation or resolution.

But, if you are looking for an Eco-warning drama that is not to taxing yet keeps you interested in it's little intricacies then this is for you. The characters are a little wooden and their portrayal not always the most natural but in a series that is not meant to be realistic I don't suppose that matters.

Six episodes, well produced, that will just about keep your interest... dive in

Enjoyable French TV Series. It unfolds slowly. I don't mind subtitles, and a chance to freshen up my French.

Found this one quite by accident. I really enjoyed the story line, loved the characters and was hooked from the first episode. Watched all 6 in one day. Loved it!!

I am now waiting for the last two instalments, but straight from the first episode, it looked to have a very familiar to feel to it, and I rapidly developed a feeling that this was French TV's answer to the US series, "LOST", with both series being riddled with the inexplicable. Both series even have their own mysterious clouds, though in Lost, it was more like black smoke.

Of course, unlike Lost, this is not set on a desert island, but what looks like the South of France. That tends to make me raise questions, such as why are there no old or fat people to be seen.?

And then there is a plot line that if true, would have the whole town besieged with the world's media. yet there is no media presence at all. The unlikely events that take place, include a lighthouse being moved from offshore to a mile inland. If that can't get a few TV cameras interested, then nothing can, and yet there is no media. Where are the Politicians from Central Government, who you might normally expect to be giving unhelpful interviews?

The whole story lacks the infrastructure that one might expect if such an event ever were to happen.

Reverting back to my comparison with Lost, that was a series that I enjoyed for about the first five seasons, and I looked forward to all the mysterious events being explained. But as it continued, I got to the stage where I lost interest, and can't even be bothered to find out what happened. With that in mind, if the series ends and I have to wait for season two (3? 4? 5? 6? etc), I won't bother. The comparison is that both series are highly implausible and so you want to see the final episode to make sense of it. But I am not that interested that I am going to wait years for an explanation.

I had this recorded but looking at the reviews I nearly didn't bother - (I'm French living abroad for the record) A lot of French series have left me cold, particularly The Revenants, a boring piece where every female character seems only fit to break nails or whinge on a manly man's shoulder - and this was compared unfavourably to it.

Anyway I'm glad I gave it a try anyway. It's a paranormal psychological thriller, with an ecological theme I suppose. The characters are maybe a bit clichéd, but they are well developed* and evolve accordingly. Like real French people, with French lives, French concerns and problems. There is excellent suspense throughout - I'm itching to see the last two episodes. It's absolutely nothing to do with a soap like someone said. Another said it's unbelievable the whole of France wouldn't be there gawking, with social media and all, but really, what is there for the media to get excited about?? A funny cloud, such as get 3k lackadaisical likes on Facebook, and ten people missing for a few hours but found again. No, no outsider would see anything bizarre. Yet bizarre it certainly is. There's also nothing wrong with any of the acting. Some people just can't cope with subtitles or anything different. It's the "act like real people" school of series, and they are believable as real people. And the lead actor is excellent.

*through the nature of the plot and what's happening, they all experience extreme changes in their lives and behaviour. This is very well done. But you'll have to watch a bit more than one episode.

Personally I highly recommend. And it's really easy viewing, don't expect boring intense intellectual stuff à la Nouvelle Vague: it's France télévision series made for family evening viewing (bear in mind there is a normal French level of sex and partial nudity: it's important to the plot anyway)

7¾