That’s Paris! The Ten Percent of Cabaret (review)

Alex Lutz leads this choral series behind the scenes of a Parisian cabaret, confronted with today's world. Without glitter, but with obvious sincerity.

Ah Panama! The City of Lights! Its Moulin Rouge and its cabarets which have made the legend of Parisian nights… A prestige of yesteryear which is being lost, to the great dismay of Gaspard Berthille, director of an establishment in full decline. On the death of his father, founder of All-ParisGaspard inherited this cabaret which made his eyes shine as a child. Yes, but now, the crazy Parisian nights now seem like endless headaches for Gaspard, forced to manage one crisis after another. Attendance is at half mast. His magazine is gathering dust. So the boss faces the facts: he must sell to the promoter of a supermarket who dreams of taking over the place to set up a new temple of consumption… So will Gaspard leave Paris or try to save THE All-Paris ?

Obviously, you already guess the answer, but whatever. The essence of the new event series which starts on France 2 this evening is its gallery of characters. That’s Paris! is a pure choral fiction where the destinies of the dancers, the waiters, the costume designer, the locker room hostess, and of course the boss, mingle and intertwine. Once again great, Alex Lutz leads the review. Without ever overdoing it, he makes a charismatic and very endearing cabaret boss, forced to deal with his teenage daughter raised on #MeToo and revolted to see that her father “still displays women as objects“.

Because the series doesn't hide behind its little finger. She speaks without taboo about the evolution of morals which today make magazines of naked girls seem like perverse entertainment. Or how the world of yesterday and the world of today struggle to coexist. That’s Paris! has ambition and not just to show what happens behind the scenes of a show that is increasingly out of fashion and in danger of extinction.

The producers Dominique Besnehard (who here offers himself a bonus role) and Michael Fellerfind – in part – the recipe that made the success of Ten percent. They also find the director Marc Fitoussi who was able to film original choreographies by Kamel Ouali on music composed by Bertrand Burgalat. And as in Ten percentwe find guest stars in their own roles, notably Line Renaud And Monica Bellucci.

Not saying that That’s Paris! will succeed in resurrecting the soul of the cabaret of yesteryear, but the series already displays the same old-fashioned charm as a Parisian revue, the one that makes you have a good evening whatever happens.

That’s Paris! in 6 episodes, to be seen on France 2 from November 27, 2024.