Solène Delinger 7:00 a.m., March 15, 2024

Prime Video is offering from this Friday "Sirens", a delightful action comedy featuring a duo of female cops: Alison Flesh, a rebel police captain played by Alice Pol, and Leïla Balani, an expert in criminology who is not very gifted on the field, played by Shirine Boutella.

Despite their differences, Flesh and Balani will have to team up to track down a serial killer in Nice. 

Murders have been increasing for several days in Nice.

The victims have the same profile: all are men accused of domestic and/or sexual violence.

Which serial killer kills these men?

Where is he hiding and what are his motivations?

Faced with the complexity of the case, Commissioner Djiba (Ramzy Bedia) knows that he can count on the energy and tenacity of Alison Flesh, a police captain as experienced as she is indomitable.

To avoid any excess, Djiba requires him to pair up with a young woman with a completely opposite character.

Flesh therefore finds himself with Leïla Balani, an expert in cerebral criminology, shy and clumsy.

Together, the two cops will create sparks and turn the French Riviera upside down... 

Prime Video pleasantly surprises with this daring fiction which renews the codes of the “buddy movie”.

What a joy to see on screen two female cops but above all two equally brilliant women who find themselves in totally crazy situations: jet ski chases, stunts in the open sea... Flesh and Balani are each impressive in their own way but also very endearing and human.

Flesh struggles to manage his professional life while taking care of his son.

Balani still suffers from the disappearance of her mother.

Sirènes

also stands out from other comedies by tackling, in the background, a societal subject, that of violence against women.

Meeting with Alice Pol and Shirine Boutella. 

Did the scenario immediately convince you?

Alice Pol: I read it on the train and was immediately seduced by the quality of the writing and the dialogue.

I was delighted because I wanted a female comedy character as strong, energetic and whimsical as that of Flesh. 

Shirine Boutella: Like Alice, I said yes immediately after reading the script.

It was a challenge to play a character who was completely opposite to me in his way of being, speaking and living in society.

Balani has difficulty connecting with people.

She is very cerebral, she analyzes everything.

I think it must be pretty terrible to be in your head (Laughs).

I loved letting myself be carried away by this character and by the writing of Adeline Picault (editor's note: the director).

© Marine Danaux

Mermaids

is an action comedy starring two women.

Was it important for you to bring a female duo to the screen? 

Alice Pol: I don't realize that.

For me, it's obvious that there are films with heroines, whether there are two, three, four or even twelve!

There are women all over the planet doing extraordinary things, going into space and creating vaccines.

It's not a subject.

On the other hand, I find it beautiful that the female characters come out of their chrysalis and actually become much less smooth than at a certain time. 

Shirine Boutella: The fact that it is a female duo makes the project even more interesting.

Flesh and Balani are strong and courageous but they retain all their femininity.

I find it super touching. 

How did you construct this pair?

Alice Pol: It happened very naturally because the film is well written.

Everything was precise, the dialogues very well distributed.

On top of that, we both really wanted to play so it worked out! 

Shirine Boutella: We each worked on our character in our own corner.

When we arrived on set, we were ready and it immediately clicked between us. 

© Marine Danaux

Alice, what did you like about your character?

Alice Pol: I find Flesh fascinating because she has completely adapted to a masculine world.

She managed to make people believe that she was as strong as a man and that she could beat your head to pieces.

By pretending, she got there!

She speaks the language of these male cops and even thugs.

I love the fact that she is so invested in her job, her energy and her strength. 

However, she remains very feminine, especially in her way of dressing... 

Alice Pol: Yes, it's as if she wanted to clear up and apologize for her masculinity with very bright colors like pink.

She has both strength and heightened femininity. 

Shirine Boutella: It also shows that she hasn't forgotten who she was!

Because she could very well have dressed like a guy. 

Shirine, your character's wardrobe is on the contrary very classic. 

Shirine Boutella: She is very uncomfortable in her clothes, a little tight, stuffed into her blazer and shirts.

We feel that she doesn't find her place, literally.

You should not judge her by her appearance because she is very smart and it is she who will advance the investigation. 

How was the filming?

Shirine Boutella: It was intense humanly, physically, and even technically.

The teams had complicated days, especially the props who had to move sets in the water.

We have very limited time when we shoot for streaming platforms.

We do a lot of things in one day and it's tiring!

I also suffered quite a bit from the heat, but it had the merit of nourishing my character who complains about it all the time (Laughs).  

Alice Pol: Personally, I remember feeling sick on the boat but not the heat because I live in the South.

People imagine that there is a lot of laughter on a comedy set.

But comedy is hard and very demanding.

Everyone has to have their own music and we all have to get along well. 

The film addresses violence against women.

A particularly topical subject in French cinema, which is experiencing its #MeToo following the declarations of Judith Godrèche.

As actresses, how do you view what is happening?

Alice Pol: I find it very healthy that things are being said and at the same time I am extremely saddened by what we read every day.

Yet I know it, I have seen this for a very long time.

I would like everything to come out, for everything to be straightened out and for the slightest excess to be punished so that there is finally humanity. 

Shirine Boutella: I'm lucky because I started my acting career not long ago.

There had already been the #MeToo and #Balancetonporc movements, people were starting to speak out.

I find it great that speech is being freed in all circles.

In France, we are finally moving towards a new world where there will be more respect and more courage to denounce this behavior.