A Suspicion is a chilling mini-series with Odile Vuillemin in the role of a potential serial killer. All inspired by a true story…
Notice to fans of suspense and gripping thrillers: the France 2 channel has programmed, from Wednesday October 16, 2024, a mini-series in four episodes entitled A suspicion. Worn by Odile Vuillemin, known in particular for her role in Profiling on TF1, this program immerses viewers in the intriguing world of Isabelle, a woman with a troubled past, suspected of having murdered several of her husbands.
In the small town in the South of France where the plot takes place, Isabelle runs a charming florist shop. But behind this affable facade perhaps hides a formidable murderer. In any case, this is what gendarmerie captain Mathilde Delboscq suspects, responsible for clarifying the sudden death of Isabelle’s husband, Pascal Bonnot, whose charred body was discovered in a car.
Throughout her investigation and her interviews with the mysterious Isabelle, the gendarme will uncover the complex personality and multiple facets of this woman with an extraordinary destiny. Because since her childhood, the suspect has constantly fought for her survival, oscillating between the status of victim and culprit. Seductress, manipulator, mythomaniac… Who is Isabelle really? A simple mother or a serial killer?
Manuela Gonzalez, “the black widow of Isère”
If the scenarioA suspicionimagined by Franck Ollivier grabs the viewer from the first minutes, it is largely thanks to the striking interpretation of Odile Vuillemin. The actress excels in this subdued role, injecting a mixture of coldness and fragility into her ambiguous character. Opposite her, Joyce Bibring aptly embodies the determination of Captain Delboscq, ready to do anything to bring the truth to light.
But as captivating as it is, this fiction nonetheless remains inspired by a very real news item. That of the murder of Daniel Cano. Survivor of a fire at his home at the end of September 2008, while he was on sleeping pills, the latter was finally found a month later, dead and charred, in a vehicle set on fire in a field, in Villard-Bonnot. His wife at the time, who had already lost two previous husbands, François Collazo in 1989 and especially Thierry Lechevallier in 1991, in disturbing circumstances, was quickly suspected of having murdered her companion to collect insurance money. life.
After years of mystery, procedure and twists and turns, Manuela Gonzalez will finally be sentenced in 2014, before the Isère Assize Court, to 30 years of criminal imprisonment for the murder of Daniel Cano. Conviction confirmed on appeal in 2016 before the dismissal of his cassation appeal. The motive for this murder is a sum of 235,000 euros from two life insurance contracts as well as an exemption from repayment of the loan. The investigations into the deaths of François Collazo and Thierry Lechevallier have not been successful at this stage. Which will not prevent Manuela Gonzalez from being nicknamed “the black widow of Isère”.
A true story, but a hint of liberties in the scenario
If the character of Isabelle and the scenario ofA suspicion are inspired by this criminal case which hit the headlines, many liberties have nevertheless been taken in relation to the original story. Names and places have been changed, and the circumstances of the dramas adapted to serve a gripping and addictive plot.
Rather than a faithful reconstruction, director Philippe Dajoux wanted to explore the psychology and motivations of a woman suspected of the worst crimes, while skillfully maintaining doubt. Is she guilty or innocent? Manipulator or herself a victim of life? It’s all the salt of this series which questions appearances and the way society views those who think outside the box.