Clive Owen, Cara Bossom and Denis Ménochet in Season One of ‘Monsieur Spade’

The AMC television network aired the six-episode first season of the series Monsieur Spade (2024- ) from January 14th to February 18th. Billed as a crime-based thriller, the drama set in the south of France, specifically Bozouls, brings conspiracy to the retired detective Sam Spade keen on living a quiet retirement far from his past spent in San Francisco, California, United States.

(From left, Cara Bossom as Teresa and Clive Owen as Sam Spade in the AMC television series Monsieur Spade).

The series establishes itself as both as a period piece (ostensibly 1963) coupled with a multiple-episode introduction to the people forming the circle and local color that will lead to the mystery that makes this a Sam Spade, film noir event. Beyond establishing Clive Owen as the center piece star of the series, introducing local vineyard owner and Spade‘s romantic love interest Gabrielle, as portrayed by Chiara Mastroianni, humanizes the former detective presented as intelligent, selectively engaging and what I take for introverted.

(From left, Denis Ménochet as Chief of Police Patrice Michaud and Frank Williams as Maurice Michaud in the television series Monsieur Spade from AMC).

The opening episode lays significant ground for the mystery by placing Spade at a local convent, making payments to the sisters in support of child resident Teresa. Teresa, portrayed by Ella Feraud as a young child and Cara Bossom as a teenager, plays a crucial role from that convent to circumstances for Spade, Philippe Saint Andre as portrayed by Jonathan Zaccaï, and drama that rises in relevance as the character of the community of Bozouls reveals itself. The shocking circumstances that end the opening episode of Monsieur Spade take at least three episodes to be placed against differing threads before explanations begin to reveal themselves.

(From left, Jonathan Zaccaï as Philippe Saint Andre and Chiara Mastroianni as Gabrielle in Monsieur Spade, the AMC television series).

Threads introduced to offer depth to the mystery of the season include the ongoing investigation of the police, including brothers Patrice Michaud and Maurice Michaud, as portrayed by Denis Ménochet and Frank Williams. There is the complicated relationship of Jean-Pierre Devereaux and Marguerite (Peggy) Devereaux, who deal in the Algerian War effort. Stanley Weber and Louise Bourgoin portrayed Jean-Pierre and Marguerite, respectively.

(From left, Louise Bourgoin as Marguerite (Peggy) Devereaux and Stanley Weber as Jean-Pierre Devereaux in the AMC series Monsieur Spade).

Cynthia Fitzsimmons and George Fitzsimmons, as portrayed by Rebecca Root and Matthew Beard, offer a sense of comic relief to ultimately serious roles as what outward appearances suggest are mother and son. The pair serve as neighbors sticking close to the Sam Spade residence in the current day, inserting themselves as nosy mischief-makers into the comings and goings on their neighbors’ property.

(From left, Rebecca Root as Cynthia Fitzsimmons and Matthew Beard as George Fitzsimmons in the television series Monsieur Spade).

The revelation and action of the final pair of episodes for the season gives legitimate meaning and substance to these threads, including those of Gazala/Nun Angélique as portrayed by Inès Melab, Henri Thibaut as portrayed by Oscar Lesage, Zayd as portrayed by Ismaël Berqouch and Samir as portrayed by Hazem Hammad. The acting throughout this series was strong, especially the opening episode and the concluding two episodes. Writing for the series rests with Tom Fontana and Scott Frank, based on characters written by Dashiell Hammett.

(From left, Hazem Hammad as Samir and Ismaël Berqouch as Zayd in Monsieur Spade, a television series by AMC).

This six-episode season works thematically, episodically and from a subject matter perspective as a cable and/or streaming television program. The resolution to certain characters, the setting as a period show, and the nudity across multiple episodes make this something that would not work on network television. The setting of background through the second, third and fourth episode, while important in the setting of character, might have worked better with two fewer characters along with at least one fewer episode for the season. Given the quality of the acting, though, I grant season one of Monsieur Spade 4.0-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Bill Murray in the Richard Donner movie ‘Scrooged’

Mingle the notions of the Charles Dickens classic book A Christmas Carol with a selfish, cynical television executive portrayed by Bill Murray, you get a preview of the better executed Groundhog Day (1993) in the form of Scroooged (1988) as directed by Richard Donner.

(From left, Karen Allen as Claire Phillips and Bill Murray as Frank Cross in the Richard Donner directed movie Scrooged).

Bill Murray portrays the character Frank Cross, who in his selfish ways plays the Ebenezer Scrooge role that makes the comedic take on Christmas, named Scrooged, a movie title and a transitive verb. The movie is unique in furthering the notion of making Frank a cynical character who cannot see that he has the chance for sustained love in Claire Phillips, who grants Frank the nickname Lumpy. Karen Allen portrays Claire Phillips.

(From left, Alfre Woodard as Grace Cooley and Nicholas Phillips as Calvin Cooley in the movie Scrooged).

Grace Cooley, as portrayed by Alfre Woodard, serves as the assistant to Frank Cross. Cooley is the Bob Cratchit of Scrooged, with her son Calvin Cooley serving in the equivalent to Tiny Tim. Nicholas Phillips portrays Calvin Cooley, the son of Grace Cooley through the movie. The Cooley family does serve a role in helping uplift the feeling of Scrooged come the movies conclusion, though the resonance of their purpose in the film loses something in for me in the comedic story that the film means to offer.

(From left, John Forsythe as Lew Howard and John Glover as Brice Cummings in the movie Scrooged).

Where Scrooged earns its marks lands moreover in the commentary about the cynical, partly dark, and the sometimes slapstick execution of the commentary made about executive leadership, love, the meaning of Christmas, and the sacrifices made in choosing to pursue certain parts of these competing priorities in the face of other points. Lew Howard, as portrayed by John Forsythe, speaks to the character of Jacob Marley. Frank Cross misunderstands the meaning Lew Howard’s example has for him. Cross and the audience begin the ghostly visits, in fact, with a visit by Frank’s former boss.

(From left, David Johansen as Ghost of Christmas Past and Carol Kane as Ghost of Christmas Present in the Richard Donner directed movie Scrooged).

David Johansen and Carol Kane both inject a brilliant sense of character in their portrayals of the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present opposite Bill Murray‘s Frank Cross. The sense of taking Cross through his paces both kicking and screaming offer charming examples of comeuppance for Frank Cross that speak well for the movie. The execution of these points reflect the parts of Scrooged that I enjoyed the most. The bringing about of Frank’s change, and the closing contrast of that storyline against Robert Mitchum‘s Preston Rhinelander and Bobcat Goldthwait‘s Eliot Loudermilk were part of where, as mentioned earlier, the movie Groundhog Day exceeds the movie Scrooged.

(From left, Robert Mitchum as Preston Rhinelander, Bill Murray as Frank Cross and Bobcat Goldthwait as Eliot Loudermilk in the movie Scrooged).

Scrooged as a film works as a Christmas movie, mostly for an older audience than films you would want as a first choice for young children. The point there is suggesting an audience that would most appreciate the humor of this film rather than the inherent sophistication of the film. As a comparison, Scrooged today hits me in a way that is similar to the television series Night Court (1984-1992). My rating for Scrooged as directed by Richard Donner is 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5 stars.

Matt – Saturday, December 18, 2020