Imagine a cop who dreams of singing glory to the point of neglecting the duties of his office. This is the role played by Jonathan Cohen in the comedy Sentinel by Hugo Benamozig and David Caviglioli, broadcast from Friday on Prime Video. Although he only had great success fifteen years ago thanks to a corny hit, this man intends to cultivate his fame on Reunion Island. He even comes to forget that he is responsible for a high-profile investigation into a kidnapping and an assassination.
“It’s the idea of this dual personality that I found innovative,” confides Jonathan Cohen to 20 minutes. François Sentinelle is an absurd character which allows me to play on a whole range of comic effects, even if I play him in a very serious way. » The gap between the crazy side of the situations and the seriousness with which the other actors slip into their roles is irresistible. Raphaël Quenard as a very invested police officer and Emmanuelle Bercot as an authoritarian elected official counterbalance the madness of the I-don’t-care, egocentric hero.
Gags and action even combat
“We took as much care with the action scenes as with the gags,” insists Jonathan Cohen, “because the success of the whole thing depended on the balance between the two. » Around François Sentinelle, a pretentious imbecile certain of his talent, shootings and chases multiply between two attempts to publish a new album and fill a concert hall, weakly supported by a producer played by Ramzy Bedia.
“For me, comedy is a serious matter,” insists Jonathan Cohen. The public should not be aware of our efforts but we work hard to offer them quality entertainment. This is why in cinema, I work with atypical authors like Nakache/Toledano, Kervern/Delépine or Quentin Dupieux. »
Heartbreaking songs
Sentinel demonstrates meticulous care, including when the hero sings the song in an absolutely hilarious way (The Kiki his greatest success, which is reminiscent of those of Francky Vincent, is a great moment just like the strong parody Do you regret). Microphone or gun in hand, François Sentinelle joins the hit parade of successful comic figures thanks to the performance of a performer who gives his all.