The story : el professor has recruited a very special team of “specialists” for a mysterious operation. He lays down very strict rules : no one must know the past and the real name of other teammates. They’ll choose surnames after cities. No blood must be spilled. They are not going to steal, they are going to use the equipments of the Royal Mint of Spain, in order to issue money. Loads of money… After five month of training and planning, the operation begins. Hostages are taken, but without violence. Outside the building, the police stall, all the more so as the team is using social networks to get public opinion on its side.
Why did this series become a mondial event ? Created and broadcast in Spain, “Why did this series become a mondial event ? Created and broadcast in Spain, “la casa de papel” should have ended after a year. But the surprise success on Netflix has given life to three more seasons. The script was very clever, the characters very charismatic, the action efficient and well paced. The story was new -a rarity in the world of series. The professor is a modern-day robinhood, turning the tools of capitalism against itself.
All over the world, the series sparked anti-capitalist movements, with demonstrators wearing the famous red uniform and Salvador Dali mask. Unfortunately, the series doesn’t take its message fully on board. It promotes freedom and non-conformism, but lacks a profound reflection on capitalism. More importantly, if the beginning is excellent, truly fascinating, the series suffers from not having been planned from the start to last. The team kills people without being under death threat ? How unfortunate, but it’s ok… Forgotten, the first rule of the professor. Violence becomes omnipresent. And in order to escape the unity of location, flashbacks are used but become cumbersome. However, in the end, what’s left is a groundbreaking script served up by extraordinary actors. The series deserved its success !
5 parties, 58 episodes (50 mn), 2017-2021, Netflix
Official website (espanol)
Casting
- Alvaro Morte / el professor
- Pedro Alonso / Berlin
- Itzyar Ituno / Inspector Murillo & Lisboa
- Ursula Corbero / Tokyo
- Miguel Herran / Rio
- Jaime Lorente / Denver
- Alba Flores / Nairobi
- And Esther Acebo, Enrique Arce, Fernando Cayo, Hovik Keuchkerian, Najwa Nimri Darko Peric, Rodrigo de la Serna, Fernando Soto, Paco Tous…
