La nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s'est réveillé - Miniseries
In La nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s'est réveillé (The Night Logan Woke Up), a major family drama unfolds. The French-language Canadian series La nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s'est réveillé is a idiosyncratic drama. A family secret is slowly exposed by the death of their mother. The relationship between the sister and three brothers has been tense since the incident. When the sister returns to say goodbye to her now-deceased mother, the painful past is stirred up. By mixing the story with the past, it slowly becomes clear what happened.
A family secret is slowly exposed by the death of their mother.
Xavier Dolan plays a central role in this miniseries. Not only is he the producer and one of the writers of the series but he also plays the role of the drug-addicted Elliot. While Elliot has just been released from an addiction clinic, he is struggling with his addiction. When he finds a new love, the problems seem to diminish. However, nothing could be further from the truth, because his new girlfriend has her own secret.
The returned Mireille (Julie LeBreton, Victor Lessard) turns the world of her three brothers upside down. Mireille drinks heavily and has a very strange relationship with men. Her destructive behavior hides the big secret from the past. Brother Denis (Éric Bruneau, Coroner) tries to keep everyone together. The biggest problem is that Denis seems to forget that it is better if he gets his own life in order first. The third brother, Julien (Patrick Hivon, La faille), has the most difficulty with Mireille's return. His marriage was already in danger because of his behavior. Now that Mireille has returned, the pressure on him and his marriage only increases.
Despite all the despair, the series still manages to end with a glimmer of hope.
La nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s'est réveillé is a painful story. For the family and for a number of those directly involved. It remains unclear for a long time what exactly happened. The oppressive atmosphere of pain, hope and distrust ensure that this is not exactly a cheerful series. The suffering is too great and the outcome too painful.
The acting is excellent. Julie LeBreton looks extremely vulnerable in her role. It fits perfectly with what happened. Julien seems to be slowly breaking down. When the reason why becomes clear, it is absolutely unbelievable that Julien has so much difficulty with this.
Despite all the despair, the series still manages to end with a glimmer of hope. A small light at the end of a very dark tunnel. The series is not for the faint of heart. The pace of the story is slow to further explore the different characters. If you like drama in which a family is torn apart by a dark secret, then this quirky miniseries is highly recommended.