Spiral/ Engrenages is a gem in the league of gritty realism Scandi noir The Bridge/ Boen and The Killing. And accordingly to my other half, The Wire.
Interesting format: long arc supported by procedural subplot. Refreshing backdrop due to the insanely complicated (perhaps dramatically exaggerated?) overlap of French-specific legal drama and police procedural. Impeccable, naturalistic acting. Manic pace even for me who favor fast cuts. There're ups and downs, lots of downs in fact, but no boring moment. World class writing.
Cinematography style is severe, and to my surprise the "jerky live motion cam" didn't cause nausea. Resolution/ visual quality got drastically better from season 4 on. There's human beauty, compassion, and optical respite between the psychological violence, pointless necrophilia and the banality of bleak non-touristy Paris districts. Strong, dedicated actors, from 65yo Roban to 14yo Suleiman, are the real assets of this show.
Not perfect of course... Contrived inter-department ethical conflicts and manipulations... Casting wise, jarring racial homogeneity, only 2 visible female characters... and no follow-up to the 2 women's unresolved season 4 subplot.
The biggest eye-rolling decision: evidently there's no shortage of hot gritty French actors, so much so the show creators casually killed off a few (which caused major show energy dive). Yet the surviving "serial babe magnet" of the show is no Keanu Reeves but a short-legged beer-bellied neck-less 1990-truck-driver-hair mouth-breather brute nobody wants their little sister to date... Worse, the actor himself didn't seem to notice nor care how he's surrounded by 6 recurring attractive male characters who made him look like one wrinkly telly tubby who runs like a panting penguin... the comically absurd un-realism of this casting disaster ruined story immersion over 3 seasons!
Still, I won't minus one star for these transgressions for it's such a strong production and sincere creative effort overall. I learned a great deal about Parisians, some French politics, the evolution of major French topical issues over a decade in this serious edutaining work, and I'm grateful for it. There's a lot of love and heart and LOL humor moments in this underrated offering. Highly recommended.
Interesting format: long arc supported by procedural subplot. Refreshing backdrop due to the insanely complicated (perhaps dramatically exaggerated?) overlap of French-specific legal drama and police procedural. Impeccable, naturalistic acting. Manic pace even for me who favor fast cuts. There're ups and downs, lots of downs in fact, but no boring moment. World class writing.
Cinematography style is severe, and to my surprise the "jerky live motion cam" didn't cause nausea. Resolution/ visual quality got drastically better from season 4 on. There's human beauty, compassion, and optical respite between the psychological violence, pointless necrophilia and the banality of bleak non-touristy Paris districts. Strong, dedicated actors, from 65yo Roban to 14yo Suleiman, are the real assets of this show.
Not perfect of course... Contrived inter-department ethical conflicts and manipulations... Casting wise, jarring racial homogeneity, only 2 visible female characters... and no follow-up to the 2 women's unresolved season 4 subplot.
The biggest eye-rolling decision: evidently there's no shortage of hot gritty French actors, so much so the show creators casually killed off a few (which caused major show energy dive). Yet the surviving "serial babe magnet" of the show is no Keanu Reeves but a short-legged beer-bellied neck-less 1990-truck-driver-hair mouth-breather brute nobody wants their little sister to date... Worse, the actor himself didn't seem to notice nor care how he's surrounded by 6 recurring attractive male characters who made him look like one wrinkly telly tubby who runs like a panting penguin... the comically absurd un-realism of this casting disaster ruined story immersion over 3 seasons!
Still, I won't minus one star for these transgressions for it's such a strong production and sincere creative effort overall. I learned a great deal about Parisians, some French politics, the evolution of major French topical issues over a decade in this serious edutaining work, and I'm grateful for it. There's a lot of love and heart and LOL humor moments in this underrated offering. Highly recommended.