Éric Bruneau plays an aging tennis player who never made it into the ATP Top 50 in Noovo’s new Virage – Double Fault series.
Plagued by stage fright and a painful back injury, Charles Rivard, 187th player in the world, is self-medicating with painkillers, anti-inflammatories and alcohol.
Against all odds, Charles, who has never excelled in his sport, manages to climb the Masters 1000 table in Montreal thanks to his performance at the Saguenay Challenger, where he meets his former coach Sylvain (Louis Morissette), now coach of female hopefuls at Tennis Canada. Sylvain agrees to help him prepare in earnest to take on the best players on the circuit at IGA Stadium in Jarry Park. The two men have two weeks to turn things around.
Haunted by his old demons, cash-strapped and constantly injured, we wonder why Charles, talented as he is, continues to play if not to fulfill his toxic mother Françoise’s (excellent Sylvie Léonard) dream. This former player transferred all her ambitions – and frustrations – to him after having to give up her career giving birth to Hubert (Karl Farah), Charles’ older brother.
Photo agency QMI, Joël Lemay
Since it’s Rivard’s trucking company that finances Charles’ tennis – up to $50,000 a year – and it doesn’t roll in gold, Hubert wants his younger brother to finally hang up his racquet.
Tennis fans will be served on Monday with the first two episodes in front of journalists. It is said that starting in Chapter 3 there will be fewer background exchanges and that we will delve deeper into the quest of Charles, who sacrificed everything for his mother’s love without giving it back to him.
The story, partly inspired by that of American tennis player Mardy Fish, takes place over eight years, with the narrative jumping seven years after the first two episodes. We believe in Éric Bruneau in the skin of a tennis player – a sport he has been practicing for 10 years – he who sweated profusely to improve his technique under the supervision of Sylvain Bruneau, former coach of Canadian champion Bianca Andreescu, winner of the US Open 2019.
Photo agency QMI, Joël Lemay
Long negotiations with the ATP
After lengthy negotiations with the ATP, the film crew gained access to the IGA Stadium during the last National Bank Open, resulting in spectacular images captured during Félix Auger-Aliassime and Nick Kyrgios’ matches. During commercial breaks or downtime, we took the opportunity to shoot scenes where Éric Bruneau’s character crosses the famous players’ corridor and the tunnel that leads to the peloton, where he is greeted by a noisy crowd.
Photo agency QMI, Joël Lemay
Director Rafaël Ouellet (“Arsenault and Son”, “New Address”) was also able to shoot at night at the IGA Stadium while the main character locks himself in his head to play his best tennis, and we had recourse after the Montreal tournament, a few extra days of shooting in front of 1,000 extras. These tight, and therefore intense, shots put Éric Bruneau in the same state, or nearly so, as his character, in which the actor had to rely on the good care of a masseur and ice baths to relax his muscles.
The production is dynamic and the edgy editing gives rhythm to the story written by Éric Bruneau, Louis Morissette (also screenplay editor) and Marie-Hélène Lebeau Taschenreau.
Produced by KOTV, in association with Bell Media, the eight episodes of Virage – Double Fault will air every Tuesday at 8pm on Noovo starting January 10th.