Various (director)
Arrow Films (studio)
cert 15 (certificate)
370 min (length)
05 August 2013 (released)
12 August 2013
It makes for a nice change to review a French cop drama - as opposed to the seemingly endless stream of Scandinavian detective thrillers UK audiences can’t seem to get enough of. Here then is to JO, aka Jean Renoir’s Jo St-Claire, a veteran detective in Paris’s elite Criminal Brigade. He drinks and takes drugs, he generally has a short fuse, he solves things his way (and that’s the unorthodox way)… what’s not to like?!
In his first TV role since the 1980’s, Reno plays a veteran detective who tackles the city’s most challenging murder cases. From the outset, we learn that Jo only recently has lost his wife, the main factor responsible for his downward spiral involving drink and drugs. Add to this his estranged daughter Adéle (Heida Reed) – a nurse depending on pills and with psychological problems of her own – and you understand why Joachim St-Claire is not your average detective. In a later episode, we come to learn that Jo is the son of a prostitute, and was given the street name he was born in, Rue Saint Claire. He still struggles to gain his full physical strength following a heart attack (a result of his unhealthy lifestyle). Definitely not your average detective!
On the work front, Jo receives support from Marc Bayard (Tom Austen), an enthusiastic and loyal young police lieutenant used to Jo’s mood swings, and Angélique Alassane (Wunmi Mossaku), the lady in charge of medical reports. Jo has a bit of a thing for her by the way. Then there’s Béatrice Dormont (Orla Brady), Jo’s superior officer who more often that not turns a blind eye towards Jo’s addiction problems and his short temper. Further support is provided by Nick Normand (Cely Jones), the unit’s computer nerd, and by copper Yannick Morin (Chris Brazier).
Then there’s Sister Karyn (Jill Hennessy), a nun as unorthodox as Jo is. No wonder they become great friends during the course of the first season, especially since Sister Karyn looked after Jo’s daughter during one her meltdowns. At first, Jo comes to visit the Sister for much needed spiritual guidance, but over time he definitely develops a thing for her… unfortunately, her vows to God prevent her from returning his feelings.
Busy battling murderers during daytime and his own demons during the night, Jo often seeks ‘solace’ in the company of criminals and mingles with the Parisian underbelly. Not only does it provide him with a rare insight into the mind frame of crooks and killers (useful for his job), it also deepens his connections with the underworld. Main contact is his dubious ‘friend’ Charlie (Sean Pertwee), a vicious gangster and gambler.
René Balcer, the Emmy winning producer of Law & Order US, and an all-star line-up of directors, skilfully combines American storytelling with a very European approach. The eight episodes of Season One takes the viewer to some of Paris’ most iconic locations and landmarks, where truly baffling and heinous crimes are committed.
From the residence of Les Invalides to the Place De La Concorde, and from the Place Vendome to the Paris Opera, each and every case proves to be as complex as Jo’s private life!
Standout episodes are ‘Pigalle’, during which a former model is found hanging in the upper levels of the Eiffel Tower during fashion week. Unlike that other model tackling the Eiffel Tower (i.e. Grace Jones in the Bond flick A View To A Kill), this one doesn’t have a lucky escape…
Equally gripping is ‘The Catacombs’, in which the body of a young woman is found – stabbed to death and with an occult symbol carved in her back. Since the area is popular with Goth teenagers and wannabe-Satanists alike, suspicion naturally falls on those two groups. However, the truth couldn’t be further removed when it emerges that the style of killing suggests a sexual motive.
The dialogue is in English language, and the actors speaking with their natural accents (French, Irish, American, Italian etc). Makes a welcome change from reading subtitles all the time, which can be a bit of a strain if you sit through episode after episode…
The UK DVD release contains 2 discs in the set, and no bonus material. Voila!
