Chouchou

After 2 episodes, this is super super fun. The agressor is the victim. The victim is the agressor. Is this love? Very very good. We are on the edge. Like reading a P. Senecal book kind of edge. What will happen next!

The rest is mostly filler (i am talking about my review). Please skip if you are still reading this. My review was only the first paragraph but I have to fill all this to submit it. This is insane. This is bad. I like short reviews. Where is this going? I submitted quit a few reviews. What is always that long. I don't think so. I would have quit I think. Anyway. This is a good Quebecois Serie yet. Watch it. I am loving it right now.

A masterpiece -and I don't throw that word around easily. The script was fresh, smart and humane. It touched important issues without trying to be didactic.

It's not your classic love story, so if you are looking for that I am not sure you'd be able to understand the beauty of the show or the meanings behind them; but if you are like me, and want something darker yet humane and at times sweet, then this is the show for you. It's dark, twisted, sensual, and yet it touches something inside you at the moment you least expected it. Just when you think you've made up your mind about a character, there you are changing it again.

The purpose of the series is not to expose you to a 'sick' view on sexual exploitation or grooming --but to show you how two people get tangled up together in life, how even the smallest choice can affect our lives long-term, how relationships at their core are inherently very easy but it's societal standards and expectations that make them harder, how monotony can ruin a marriage, and how what doesn't kill us doesn't necessarily make us stronger.

Again, it's a masterpiece; the cinematography and the direction are great (and at times dream-like), the performances are astounding --the show is definitely worth the watch, although it might be a bit hard for metropolitan French speakers to understand or grow accustomed enough to the Québécois accent to be able to finish or even watch the series. My Parisian ear got used to the accents after the 2nd episode.

Firstly, a fabulous performance by Evelyne Brochu. I watched her in Paris Police 1900 and admired her Huppert like acting but she excels in this series. In fact, the whole cast are excellent in this hard-hitting, social realist, French Canadian production.

I'm not going to use Spoilers here - much of the plot can ascertained from trailers anyway. This is a difficult subject area for filmmakers. How do they explore very contentious and at times harrowing events and retain a balance between seriousness and entertainment? Here the emphasis is definitely directed towards the consequences of actions and the devistating outcomes, not just for the lawbreaker, but their loved ones.

It's easy to moralise, but like other ethical issues Sweetheart is massively complex. It's not black and white and has numerous grey areas. No issue is as grey or as complex as love between two human beings. That said, there is a strong existential responsibility at play here, from both protagonists. We are pulled into this argument as viewers to think, discuss and perhaps pass judgement.

I know its a cliche, but don't miss it.

.... original French title Chouchou translates in English to Favorite, here the mini-series is called Sweetheart ... exceptionally well cast, written, acted, produced... it's a fair depiction of a thirty-seven year old wife, teacher, mother of two small children quickly falling under the spell of a seventeen year old disadvantaged youth, beginning what turns into a very destructive affair with her student

... it happens, we've seen-aware it happening time again in real life... when it's a woman who's a mother, it plays out more dramatically... why are there those damaged individuals crossing lines known not to be crossed... what could possibly be any positive outcome... needing-must-being-more than just sex, how do we let ourselves be trapped by these unshakable urges to do the unthinkable

... it would more likely benefit from a second viewing, to pick up on insights missed from the first viewing... kudos to youtube for showing the entire series.... and why are there no worthwhile detailed reviews by seasoned critics to be found anywhere online.

This series is, without a doubt, one of the most impeccably written, directed, and acted shows I've ever experienced. 🎬 I pride myself on having an objective perspective when it comes to television, but this series truly resonates with me. 💖 It encapsulated my personal experience perfectly. I was deeply in love with my high school teacher but never dared to confess my feelings, and that lingering question of "what if" has stayed with me for years. 🤔 I can't recommend it highly enough-it's a solid 10/10. ⭐ And let's not even get started on the casting; it's absolute perfection. 👌and when you add this French accent wow.