2024-04-08 11:28:16
Whoever thinks of the backstage of football thinks of “Footballers’ Wives”. But “The Fever” has nothing to do with the glamor of the British series. Football is only a pretext to explain how, from the slip-up of a racialized player, a civil war might engulf France.
One evening of an awards ceremony, all the elite of French football come together with the idea of rewarding the best player in France, Fodé Thiam (Alassane Diong). As the evening comes to an end without the person concerned having gleaned the slightest trophy, he slips and goes there with a violent headbutt addressed to his trainer, accompanied by the insult: “Dirty toubab!”
The video of the incident is circulating on social networks. It doesn’t take much for the fascist sphere to get carried away and cry out regarding the anti-white racist act committed by a racialized player. On the other hand, indigenous people are also trying to politically recover the news item.
Crisis management specialist
In the player’s football club, Racing, incomprehension remains. To manage the matter, a company specializing in crisis management comes into play. Sam (Nina Meurisse), a talented communicator, takes matters into her own hands. It formally prohibits the president of the club (Benjamin Biolay) and all those concerned from reacting publicly.
You must first scan social networks, scrutinize the front pages of the newspapers and react accordingly, decide who to send on TV sets, organize a press conference and publish a press release in due time. Rarity being the driving force of desire, when an announcement from the club comes out, it will have more weight than a publication released hastily and drowned in the mass.
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Blow on the embers
The strategy has barely been defined when a voice emerges from the fray and continues to attack. Marie Kinsky (Ana Girardot), a controversial humorist flirting with the far right, takes advantage of the opportunity to stir up hatred. The two women, Sam and Marie, former colleagues, will engage in a merciless battle remotely to guide public opinion largely influenced by the media and networks.
After the excellent “Black Baron” series by Kad Merad, author Eric Benzekri looks into the identity divides that divide French society. In an aggressive context on the subject, he writes a clever, very well documented scenario and manages in six breathtaking episodes to demonstrate how a taboo subject such as the free sale of firearms in France can invite itself into the public debate without let no one be offended.
Manipulation of the masses
From a headbutt from a football player, it is enough to manipulate the masses thanks to the internet, television, the press. The only possible counter-attack is to change the passionate space, to move away from racism to move the incident to the sporting level, a simple dispute between coach and player. Not easy!
Initially, “Fever” functions like “Scandal”, in which lawyer Olivia Pope, in the service of the White House, spends her time defusing bombs in each episode. Here, Sam must resolve new crises, find solutions at the same time as she must resolve her own existential crisis: HPI, single mother, too lucid, depressed, she manages to send racists and racialized people back to back, two clans having recourse using the same methods and following the same logic.
Any controversy is welcome
Both are only looking to increase their customer base. The rule in politics consists in making it grow to occupy a preponderant place in public debate. Any controversy is therefore welcome and too bad if the battle is lost, as long as the number of sympathizers increases.
If in substance “Fever” is a brilliant demonstration, in form Ziad Doueiri, the director of “Black Baron” is not to be outdone. For this series shot as a thriller, he can rely on a remarkable cast, notably Ana Girardot, alias Marie the narcissist, who has become a dangerous fascist undoubtedly through opportunism. Populism and racism are the breasts of a coming earthquake that she encourages, using her public, in particular politicians, to achieve her ends.
Philippe Congiusti/mh
“Fever” by Ziad Doueiri, series in six episodes to watch on Canal+ and on MyCanal since March 18, 2024.
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