Touched by TF1: How much is Alexandra Lam’s first fiction worth?

What is it about?

Lucy recently moved to Anduze with her son Leo to escape her abusive ex-husband. Hoping to recover herself, she enrolls in fencing therapy offered by a local association. There he meets women victims of sexual violence and forms a sincere friendship with Tamara and Nicole.

The participants slowly regain their confidence thanks to sword training and their accompanying therapist, Eva. When Lucy’s ex-husband reappears, she’s no longer alone with her fears and her past…

Adapted from Quentin Zuitton’s graphic novel published by Payot editions.

Thursday 22 September at 9.10pm on TF1 and available now on Salto.

who is he with

For her first performance, Alexandra Lammy was surrounded by a first-class cast. Thus, the character of Lucy is portrayed by Melanie Dutt, who was recently seen in Les 7 vies de Léa. Comedian Claudia Tagbo lends her qualities to Nicole, while Chloé Juané, daughter of Alexandra Lam, who is notably discovered in the TF1 series Infidèle, plays Tamara.

Actor, screenwriter and director Andrea Bescondi, who won the César for best adaptation for Les Chatouilles, portrays an association therapist who will gradually help the women regain themselves. On the writing side, Solenn Roy-Pagenaud (Candice Renoir) took care of the scripts with the help of Quentin Zuitton, the author of the comics from which Touchées is taken.

Is it worth seeing?

After She Saved Me, which aired on M6 last March, it’s TF1’s turn to bring you hard-hitting fiction about violence against women with mascara. And for this occasion, the channel invited Alexandra Lammy, who goes behind the camera for the first time, to talk about an honest topic for her.

This adaptation of Quentin Zuitton’s graphic novel of the same name follows Alice, a young mother who changes her life with her son to escape her abusive husband. In her new town, she joins a fencing-based therapy group to begin rebuilding herself and regaining control over her life.

There he meets Tamara and Nicole, who have also experienced abuse, and together they help each other, perhaps one day finally find peace. But when Lucy’s ex-husband stalks her, she must find the strength to face her past.

Crowned with the best unit prize at the La Rochelle Art Festival, Touchées is a poignant piece of fiction that manages to break away from the usual failure to offer a sober story.

With one or two exceptions, very little violence is shown to focus on the trauma experienced by its women and the long road of recovery they face in order to begin to rebuild their lives. And it is thanks to fencing that they succeed in evacuating the cruelty and violence of which they were victims and which they try to avoid in every way.

The story of Touchées is mainly based on a trio of actors who do excellent work. While Melanie Dutt is excellent as Lucy, she is rivaled by her two co-stars, Claudia Tagbo and Chloe Juan. The former shines in this counter-intuitive role, which we are more used to seeing in the comedic register. Her understated interpretation of Nicole, a deeply troubled woman whose secrets we gradually learn, is perfect.

As for Chloé Juane, she surprises us in the skin of Tamara, a constantly angry young woman who hides a heavy secret. Mixing strength and weakness, the young actor manages to bring life to this multi-faceted character, who gradually lowers his guard in contact with Lucy and Nicole.

For her directorial debut, Alexandra Lam succeeds brilliantly, delivering a powerful and sophisticated TV movie based on a trio of talented actors. Despite its difficult subject matter, Touchées remains a luminous and hopeful piece of fiction worth checking out.