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Lupin (TV Show)
Netflix put up this absolutely delightful new French series, so far consisting of five episodes (with more to come), starring Omar Sy as Assane Diop, modern day acolyte of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman gangster invented by Maurice Leblanc. It offers all the thrills and twists of a clever heist story while also having a running commentary by its very content on racism and classism, for the casting isn't color-blind. Our hero being a black man, the son of a Senegal immigrant, means he's invisible - and visible, on other occasions - in a whole different way than a white Frenchman in the same situation would be. There's also a red narrative thread caused by his backstory, as he doesn't pick his targets at random; as the series pilot reveals via flashbacks, his father, a millionaire's chauffeur, was framed for the theft of a legendary necklace by his employer, the Pellegrini family (who then cashed in the ensurance), ended up in prison and killed himself (or did he?). Hubert Pellegrini, the billionaire, is the overall big bad Assane wants to avenge his father on, and not having read the original Lupin books, Assane's multiple identies and clever plans (both short and long term) reminds me of Dumas' Count of Monte Christo, the classic French revenge-plus-con novel.
Omar Sy is charming and clearly has fun in the central role and also brings it in the emotionally vulnerable moments. The series impresses me further by not letting the police just be too stupid to figure things out. There are other reasons. Not so coincidentally (see above, re: running commentary), the cop who does quickly deduce Assane's various deeds are connected and that they're inspired by Lupin, but who doesn't get taken as seriously as his other colleauges, is Youssef (Soufiane Guerrab). And Big Bad Pellegrini himself is no fool (and shows in eps 4 and 5 that he's every bit as ruthless in the present as he was in the past). Intelligent adversaries always heighten the suspense!
In terms of female characters, we have: Claire (Ludivine Sagnier), Assane's ex wife and childhood friend, with whom he has a son (Raoul, who is now the same age Assane was when his father died). They clearly still have feelings for each other, but Claire also has had it with "one more time, then I'll change" promises and thus has drawn the line as far as a romantic relationship is concerned, though she still is a friend. Then there's Juliette Pellegrini (Clotilde Hesme), daughter of the Big Bad, with whom Assane also has backstory, her mother, Anne Pellegrini, and, in a powerful guest role, Anne Benoit as Fabienne, a reporter who in the past almost managed to bring down Hubert Pellegrini by her reporting until he practically destroyed her. Fabienne is the type of role who in the past inevitably would be male (grumpy old hero brought low and now living in squalor roused back to fight the good fight again by young hero) and handsome, while Benoit isn't just a woman but one made to look like a 60ish woman living in poverty and on the heavy side would, not like she'd escaped a fashion catalogue, and it's great. And she named her dog "J'Accuse". What's not to love? There's also one of Youssef's colleages with the police, but so far she's not been fleshed out much beyond "initially sceptical towards Youssef's theories, but coming around".
The episodes so far offer both a case of the week where Assane has to get in and out of impossible situations and a longer term narrative (his backstory, which unfolds across various episodes, his long term goal of bringing Hubert Pellegrini down, and conversely the police investigating Assane's coups with Youssef putting things together). It's clever and fast paced and immensely enjoyable to watch, though, like with Dumas, it's not all fun and games: people die.
One particular spoilery bit which impressed me since it adresses a pet peeve of mine from many an action movie and tv show: In episode 3, the cop who'd originally investigated the "theft" of the necklace which Assane's father had been framed for, and who by now is police commissioner, Dumont, has been kidnapped by Assane (as ever in disguise). Assane wants a confession that Dumont had been bought of by Pellegrini. Now, firstly I was afraid there would be torture, since heroes torturing villains has become way too popular a trope ever since "24". Thankfully, there wasn't torture. Secondly, with or without torture, it's a trope that villains confess while heroes, in the same situation, resist spilling the beans. Guess what? Dumont, who as a carreer police officer of decades knows a thing or two about interrogation, does not confess, and does his utmost to convincingly plead his innocence instead. Thirdly, in tandem with his characterisation so far as a clever man with backstory wounds but ethics (well, other people's property aside when the people in question can afford it), and in tandem with the chosen genre of a tricksy heist series, Assane has been prepared for this. There's a backup plan. If Dumont had been sincere, nothing bad would have happened to him after his release. He's not, so he walks straight into the secondary trap Assane has laid out to him and thus does contribute another piece of evidence after all. Give me heroes who outwit the villains over those who defeat them by brutality any time.
Nitpicks: one so far, something with a video tape which made me go "come on, surely a) he'd have made a copy, and b) not gone about it this way", but other than that, I'm good.
In conclusion: highly reccommended.
Omar Sy is charming and clearly has fun in the central role and also brings it in the emotionally vulnerable moments. The series impresses me further by not letting the police just be too stupid to figure things out. There are other reasons. Not so coincidentally (see above, re: running commentary), the cop who does quickly deduce Assane's various deeds are connected and that they're inspired by Lupin, but who doesn't get taken as seriously as his other colleauges, is Youssef (Soufiane Guerrab). And Big Bad Pellegrini himself is no fool (and shows in eps 4 and 5 that he's every bit as ruthless in the present as he was in the past). Intelligent adversaries always heighten the suspense!
In terms of female characters, we have: Claire (Ludivine Sagnier), Assane's ex wife and childhood friend, with whom he has a son (Raoul, who is now the same age Assane was when his father died). They clearly still have feelings for each other, but Claire also has had it with "one more time, then I'll change" promises and thus has drawn the line as far as a romantic relationship is concerned, though she still is a friend. Then there's Juliette Pellegrini (Clotilde Hesme), daughter of the Big Bad, with whom Assane also has backstory, her mother, Anne Pellegrini, and, in a powerful guest role, Anne Benoit as Fabienne, a reporter who in the past almost managed to bring down Hubert Pellegrini by her reporting until he practically destroyed her. Fabienne is the type of role who in the past inevitably would be male (grumpy old hero brought low and now living in squalor roused back to fight the good fight again by young hero) and handsome, while Benoit isn't just a woman but one made to look like a 60ish woman living in poverty and on the heavy side would, not like she'd escaped a fashion catalogue, and it's great. And she named her dog "J'Accuse". What's not to love? There's also one of Youssef's colleages with the police, but so far she's not been fleshed out much beyond "initially sceptical towards Youssef's theories, but coming around".
The episodes so far offer both a case of the week where Assane has to get in and out of impossible situations and a longer term narrative (his backstory, which unfolds across various episodes, his long term goal of bringing Hubert Pellegrini down, and conversely the police investigating Assane's coups with Youssef putting things together). It's clever and fast paced and immensely enjoyable to watch, though, like with Dumas, it's not all fun and games: people die.
One particular spoilery bit which impressed me since it adresses a pet peeve of mine from many an action movie and tv show: In episode 3, the cop who'd originally investigated the "theft" of the necklace which Assane's father had been framed for, and who by now is police commissioner, Dumont, has been kidnapped by Assane (as ever in disguise). Assane wants a confession that Dumont had been bought of by Pellegrini. Now, firstly I was afraid there would be torture, since heroes torturing villains has become way too popular a trope ever since "24". Thankfully, there wasn't torture. Secondly, with or without torture, it's a trope that villains confess while heroes, in the same situation, resist spilling the beans. Guess what? Dumont, who as a carreer police officer of decades knows a thing or two about interrogation, does not confess, and does his utmost to convincingly plead his innocence instead. Thirdly, in tandem with his characterisation so far as a clever man with backstory wounds but ethics (well, other people's property aside when the people in question can afford it), and in tandem with the chosen genre of a tricksy heist series, Assane has been prepared for this. There's a backup plan. If Dumont had been sincere, nothing bad would have happened to him after his release. He's not, so he walks straight into the secondary trap Assane has laid out to him and thus does contribute another piece of evidence after all. Give me heroes who outwit the villains over those who defeat them by brutality any time.
Nitpicks: one so far, something with a video tape which made me go "come on, surely a) he'd have made a copy, and b) not gone about it this way", but other than that, I'm good.
In conclusion: highly reccommended.
Spoiler in comment
My only slight nitpick is that I wanted more of Fabienne and wish they had run with her as Assane's co-partner in revenge, instead of focusing on his family. But I am good with the plot now, too.
Another detail that impressed me: the way they used Circe, the virtual assistant, in ep. 3. It shows us, these are modern people, it also serves to characterise the marriage dynmaics between Dumont and his wife. And then it becomes this major tool of accusation (J'accuse, indeed) when Assene uses it to reveal that he suspected Dumont would play a double game.
Re: Spoiler in comment
Circe: indeed. It also immediately showed how well Dumont lived (and even before Assane spelled it out it was clear there was no way he could have afforded all that from his salary).
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Have you heard about Leblanc's Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès yet?
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WatsonWilson. L'aiguille creuse is my favourite Lupin book, though I have no idea how good any of the translations are.no subject
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Fabienne is great! Like you, I love the casting there.
I'm also with you on the lack of torture. I hate it when people instantly confess when tortured. For one, it's a squick, and for two, it encourages viewers to believe that torture is justified and always works.
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