Review by frogcilfruit

I was very much looking forward to this, the character and time period being quite untouched by the entertainment industry until now, it was a refreshing period drama to jump into.

I couldn't go further than mid-first episode, so I can't speak for the last 3/4 of the work, but I found the first quarter very disappointing.

Production and photography are very beautiful. Costumes, colour palette, it's all quite well done.

The flock of first rate actors also promised some good acting, however, it is unfortunately quite the opposite. Apart from Virginie Ledoyen who is believable, I found everyone else very.stiff and artificial, especially Isabelle Adjani.

First of all, in spite of the thorough plactic surgery work that was done to her face, I'm sorry but she can't pass for a 35 year old (in most of the scenes from that episode), and even less for a 17 year old !!! (at some point in the story). The famous "timeless youth" of Diane de Poitiers at 50 doesn't apply here for an actress who is almost 70 - stll beautiful for sure and looking younger than she is - but not for a very youthful looking 35 year old, this is absurd, and harmful to the story, and I admit it really bugged me.

And I suppose I wouldn't fixate on her looks so much if she could act, but she is so bland and with a permanent wide-eyed surprised facial expression that just doesn't apply to most situations.

To be honest, I felt the writng was very poor and therefore probably quite hard on any actor, which seems to be substantiated by the fact that all those otherwise very good actors came across very stiff.

That's a long review for someone who only watched 25% of the whole thing, but it's proportional to my disappontment.