Alex Lutz in “5th Set” by Quentin Renaud – Apollo Films/Marie Camille Orlando
- Alex Lutz offers himself a new performance on edge in “5th Set”.
- The actor embodies a tennis player on the decline, who is trying to relaunch his career.
- This film, shot at Roland-Garros, pays tribute to the courage of top-level athletes.
After the song, tennis! We left Alex Lutz as a charming singer in Guy which had earned him a Caesar. Racket in hand is just as believable in 5e Set by Quentin Reynaud. He embodies a fallen tennis player trying to relaunch his career at 38 years old. It would be time to retrain, except that his character does not know how to do anything else.
The director, who had already directed him in Paris-Willouby, pushed the actor to go even further in his game, in every sense of the word. Supported by a duo of strong women (Ana Girardot and Kristin Scott Thomas, impeccable companion and coach of the hero), this tortured character appears in all the strength and weakness of a man traumatized by a former defeat.
Behind the scenes at Roland-Garros
Quentin Reynaud, who played tennis at a high level, chose to situate his action during the elimination rounds at Roland Garros. “These rounds are watched by real amateurs, because they give rise to pugnacious exchanges, most of the time tough and exciting, because they are contested by players who need financially to win them”, he explains. in the press kit. The adrenaline of the spectator is in unison with that of the public in the stands. Whether you’re a tennis fan or not interested in it, the pressure mounts around the hero whose doubts and determination we understand.
The team took up residence at Roland-Garros, a great first for this legendary place which had never hosted a film shoot. This decor steeped in history gives an extra touch of soul to 5e Set. Especially during a breathtaking final sequence, a twenty-five minute match that leaves the spectator swimming! “I wanted to invite people to understand what goes on in the head of a player who plays Roland Garros, what he is there for, and how he got there,” insists the filmmaker.
Sweat and blood
The sweat and blood involved in this demanding sport is evident as players enter the course like gladiators in an arena. The price these level athletes pay to excel in their art is described so acutely that we share their pain. The on-the-skin performance of Alex Lutz, chameleon actor, like the staging of Quentin Reynaud increases the respect we feel for these women and men who can lose everything in an instant.
