THE fan of Mr. Bean lor they will remember in the role of the protagonist of the homonymous series of the 90s. Now Rowan Atkinson lands on Netflix with Man vs Beecomposed by 9 short episodesfocusing on fight between a man and a bee. A battle will reveal itself the cause of a thousand unexpected events with disastrous consequences.
Man vs Beethe plot of the episodes
Trevor Bingley (Rowan Atkinson) is a middle-aged, clumsy and awkward manabsolutely unable to hold a job. The fault is not with him, but with unusual and out of control circumstances which, from time to time, take over. He is separated from Jess (Claudie Blakley)with whom he has a non-idyllic relationship, precisely because of his approach to life.
His daughter Maddy (India Fowler), on the other hand, loves it. Despite the extravagant and out of the ordinary personality, she loves him the way he is. For her it is an essential point of reference. The day before we leave together for the summer holidays, Trevor gets a job as a janitor. The dwelling to be checked is a luxury villa in the English countrysideentrusted to him for a week by the owners, Nina and Christian Kolstad-Bergenbatten (Jing Lusi and Julian Rhind-Tutt)a wealthy and snobbish young couple.
The villa is home automation and Bingley is immediately in obvious difficulty, but hopes to dispel any doubts by studying the instruction manual, which soon catches fire. To add a stress component, the entry into the house of a bee. Quite a common occurrence, but for Trevor it will be the start of a very difficult week, which will have devastating consequences. From all points of view.
Rowan Atkinson in the “Man vs Bee” series. (Courtesy Netflix)
Rowan Atkinson continues to mess up
In the villa there are priceless works of art, a car park of several tens of millions of pounds, as well as the dog Cupcake, allergic to nuts. The indications left by the owners are many, but of ordinary administration. Yet, for the clumsy Trevor, permanence quickly turns into a waking nightmare.
Blame the bee, which wanders around the house without giving him respite. What for many is an annoying buzz, for the protagonist of Man vs Bee turns into obsession. Thus begins an exhausting struggle to hunt the insect, but the enterprise fails minute by minute. Little by little, in an attempt to put an end to the noise, the man causes significant damage to the house and will have his work cut out even with the dogwho will obviously eat peanut butter coated toast.
Desperate and exhausted, he confides in Jess, who points out that the pattern repeats itself. Maybe it’s not the bee’s fault, but its way of reacting to things. “Stop being pestered by stupid things that don’t matter,” he says, “they’re not all mad at you.” Still, Trevor feels hunted and continues his challenge with the bee. A challenge that will have him sentenced to 3 years in prison. What will happen once he is locked up in the prison is to be discovered. Will he be able to prove that he is not a criminal, but just a clumsy man? And how will the ex-wife and daughter react?
In “Man vs Bee” Jing Lusi and Julian Rhind-Tutt are Nina and Christian Kolstad-Bergenbatten. (Courtesy Netflix)
Netflix series review
Man vs Bee is a funny series that exploits the registers of absurdity and comedy, dear to Rowan Atkinson, not neglecting some nuances which belong to the drama and return a multifaceted character. Compared to the famous title of the 90s, here the episodes do not represent different situations, but are closer to one film divided into chapters.
Each of the 9 episodes shows an unexpected event that Trevor has to deal with, but there is only one common thread. Atkinson is perfect in the role, thanks to his marked expressiveness and an unmistakable proxemic. The jokes are very few, but the boredom effect is not touched. Indeed, the vision is still captivating and fun.
Claudie Blakley and India Flower in the “Man vs Bee” series. (Courtesy Netflix)
Born in 1955, the English actor has one behind him long film and television career. Among the films in which he took part, Four weddings and a funeral, Love actually – Love really and the trilogy Johnny English. The role of consecration, however, remains that of Mr. Bean. A cult of English comedywhich gave him worldwide success.
An important milestone, but also a label from which it is impossible to break free. And this is perhaps why in 2021 he publicly declared that will no longer wear the clothes of Mr. Bean. Not bad, because in reality his Trevor Bingley remembers him in many ways.
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