La prophétie d'Avignon

La Prophétie d'Avignon came out in 2007, just after The Da Vinci Code, the film adaptation of the Catholic conspiracy mystery of Dan Brown caused a hype. The comparison with this hit is therefore quickly made.

To start with an open door: where The Da Vinci Code is the norm in this particular genre due to a cast iron plot, La Prophétie d'Avignon is the opposite. This series visually does everything right, but collapses like a house of cards, thanks to the messy story.

It is incomprehensible that such a bad scenario has been continued for a series in which one has clearly invested a lot of time, money and effort.

The basic idea behind the story isn't all that bad: Estelle Esperanza is a historian, or archaeologist, specializing in medieval architecture. During the restoration of a medieval building, she discovers a beautifully colored glass window. Before she realizes it, she is dragged against her will into a lot of criminal events related to a prediction about the future of the world (hence "the Prophecy") until the year 4000. Estelle learns that her family has been looking for the prophecy for a long time but they were not alone. The dark and secret society of the Brothers of Judas is also looking for it. For this, the Brothers of Judas use weapons and get rid of everyone standing in their way! "

Unfortunately, the viewer is overloaded with historical facts that do not always sound logical. In addition, the Brothers of Judas are presented very implausibly. A sort of secret organization, more powerful than the UN or the European Union, of top politicians and businessmen - Nobody could believe something like that! Because of this unrealism, you will not be drawn into the story. It would have been better if, for example, the brothers had been a Catholic sect from Rome. Or at least something plausible.

The series, like The Da Vinci Code, is a series of quests for medieval relics. But unfortunately that happens here in a way that as a viewer you feel that this is only an excuse for filming action scenes. Beautifully filmed but very unbelievable screen fill.

The actors did a wonderful job and appears to have been carefully cast. And although Lime-Lights Pictures ensured a very poor quality of the DVD for the release in the Netherlands, everything was filmed very nicely. On a full HD Blu-Ray, everything would probably splash off the screen.

In summary: looks nice but failed miserably as a story. Unfortunately.

Nice scenery, awful pot, nice actors, wealthy people, esotericism, some hint of nobility and many scenes of torrid sex: is this an American best seller?

Probably the most likable character is the most unlikely: "Commissaire Anne Renard" (surname!). Fun, with a strong accent, and witty, she's the only believable character, the "reality check" or necessary counterweight to all the likable heroes. The "Judas brotherhood" are not really fearful. Although very powerful, they seem to kill mainly with some 3-sided stars, much like the "ninja stars" that we used to see in 80's "ninja" B movies. And when they shoot their posh guns, they seem to be really bad shots :).

Louise Monot seems to be in about half of the movie, so it's probably a love/ hate situation: whether you liker or not her "screen presence" probably has a lot to do with how you like the series. I like her, but not the film, thou :).

Olivier Royal is a perfect hero for teenagers: handsome, elegant, caring and extremely patient with Estelle, can dispatch enemies even without guns and seemingly without doing any effort on his part. A born hero :). Again, his surname has a lot of significance.

Stunning violinist Valeria Cavalli is Sandra, a righteous wife, 2nd wife of Estelle's dad. Blonde Nadine E. is rather the opposite. As such, she succeeds. I like her sneer at Estelle in episode 8: "For you, everything is black or white...". Mehdi and Gil are the happy gay couple, necessary for political correctness and well done by their very natural cast. Their script is a cliché of "gay people".

Swiss Marthe Keller, from "Le sanglot des Anges" (also for TV), plays an elegant oracle. Odette is an old grouchy baddie with a heart. David doesn't last long into Estelle's mind, so we won't deal with him. Joyce, Estelle's mum, is so unnatural I cannot say much about her either. Julien E., her dad, is a smart respectable surgeon that, as most characters, has his share of family secrets. Louis, her grandparent, is sweet if a bit maniac about the prophecy. Henry is a classical baddie, with a deep, husky voice to match his "L'homme de pouvoir" character. Also acted in the similar series, in similar roles: "Le silence de l'épervier" and "Petits meurtres en famille" (A. Christie's remake), but this is slightly better, more entertaining at least. He did some Chabrol and also was in "Cyrano", mind you. Nadège is hateable, as the "girl in the red dress who appears all the time like a phantom". Sylvain Epstein, on the contrary, is a noble character full of good feelings, and who doesn't profit from the situation to bed his platonic love Sandra. Mehdi's parents are fun, specially his father as he tries to be "Obi-wan Kenobi" to his son, one of the genuine fun moments of the film (last episode).

There are golden cylinders, some magic dice, a griffin, a fresco with a shining blue light, they all have clues...

Music is fine, very catchy, which is good for a TV series. Of course the palaces, aerial views and landscapes are beautiful.

Overall, don't expect much, and if possible, don't analyze it, and it will give you some pleasant moments. Not bad for a TV series, I guess.