“La Maison” is nothing short of delicious and delectable, as exquisite as a Dior gown and as over the top as a Versace print. Backstabbing fun are the adventures of the LEDU house of couture.
Maison LEDU is the last independent couturier left in Paris, owned by the highly dysfunctional Ledu family and presided over by the imperious Vincent who will be damned if he lets go of the reins. His designs are as legendary as his temper. Equal shares are owned by siblings Vincent, Victor and Marie, with minor stakes given to Marie’s husband for his influx of cash, and their son Robinson. The fly in this unctuous serum is youngest brother Victor who, having been denigrated and dismissed by Vincent, took his ball, or rather his scissors, and went over to the enemy, marrying the daughter of archrival Diane Rovel, the ruthless and all-powerful owner of the Rovel luxury group. Victor was the first arrow in her quiver of revenge against Vincent. She’s aiming for nothing less than a take-over.
On the evening that Vincent is awarded a high honor by the government at an official reception, he learns that Victor has undercut him and stolen his most recent account for Rovel, leaving LEDU high, dry and out of pocket. In what he thinks is a private corner, he does a full-on John Galliano (former director of Dior and Givenchy who went on a drunken antisemitic rage and tumbled from Olympus to Hades) as he rants to his muse, Perle, against the Asian client and their assumed stereotypic proclivities (suffice it to say, it’s not pretty). What he doesn’t know is he’s being filmed. Before you can say flash drive, the video goes viral and Vincent’s career goes up in a cloud of diaphanous vapor.
A new face of the firm must be found and quickly. Into their laps drops the young Paloma Castel, the recently crowned queen of guerilla fashion and the next new thing.
But it is not just the potential fall of the House of LEDU that anchors the series, but also the machinations and manipulations of each character. Beyond charting Vincent’s blind desire to retain control as the ship is rapidly taking on water, it is also Victor’s desire for revenge against his brother for ills both real and imagined that shapes the narrative. Played like a yoyo by Diane, Victor is on quicksand of his own creation.
Photos courtesy of Apple TV+
As luscious as a crunchy tower of meringue, “La Maison” is whipped into a froth by its two leads, French actors with few peers. Lambert Wilson is Vincent, as gorgeous in older age as he was in youth with a stature and elegance that makes you sit up straighter. His character’s negative qualities are never entirely offset, but you will be drawn into him even as you are being repelled. The iconic Carole Bouquet brings her elegance and hauteur in full force as Diane Rovel, the villain of the piece. Her brilliantly devious machinations that underscore every action are fundamental not only to her revenge against Vincent Ledu, but also against her daughter and duplicitous son-in-law. Quite frankly, as much as you’ll hate to admit it, she’s just smarter than everyone else.
The supporting cast is excellent, led by Zita Hanrot as Paloma, Pierre Deladonchamps and his permanently raised eyebrow and sneer as Victor, and the beautiful and enigmatic Amira Casar as Perle.
The wonderful 10 episodes never lag and are totally engaging. So feast on “La Maison.” It’s a multicourse gourmet meal full of caviar, foie gras and Champagne. Fasten your seat belts, the ride may be bumpy for them, but it’s pure pleasure for you.
In French with English subtitles.
Now streaming on Apple TV+
Neely Swanson spent most of her professional career in the television industry, almost all of it working for David E. Kelley. In her last full-time position as Executive Vice President of Development, she reviewed writer submissions and targeted content for adaptation. As she has often said, she did book reports for a living. For several years she was a freelance writer for “Written By,” the magazine of the WGA West, and was adjunct faculty at USC in the writing division of the School of Cinematic Arts. Neely has been writing film and television reviews for the “Easy Reader” for more than 10 years. Her past reviews can be read on Rotten Tomatoes where she is a tomato-approved critic.
