MURDER IN ANGOULÊME (LE PRIX DE LA TRAHISON, FRANCE 3)

Comedian and actress Mimie Mathy, the star of TF1's long running hit Joséphine, ange gardien, is back on France 3 to play Police captain Marie Jourdan for the third time in Murder in Angoulême (Le prix de la trahison). Mathieu Delarive returns too as Gendarmerie commander Paul Danceny.

Like Le prix de la vérité (2017) and Le prix de la loyauté (2019) (1), Le prix de la trahison was penned by Laurent Mondy (Commissaire Magellan, Les Cordier, juge et flic). Marie Jourdan and her husband Pierre, restaurateur in Angoulême, celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. Marie has invited her friend Paul Danceny, who arrives from Aix-en-Provence. The party is interrupted when the police arrests Marie and Pierre's son Alex for the murder of Juliette Ravenne, a local journalist with whom he had an affair.

Danceny offers Marie Jourdan his assistance and Marie's boss Commissaire Florence Martens gives them two days to prove Alex's innocence. Captain Jourdan's adopted daughter Louise, who's a lawyer, helps them. Le prix de la trahison is better than Le prix de la loyauté but definitely not as good as Le prix de la vérité. It's a standard France 3 crime/mystery TV movie —  including the inevitable and annoying drone shots — enhanced by the talented Mimie Mathy (2). Patrick Raynal, a familiar face of the channel, plays Pierre Jourdan. 

 

Fabrice Deville (Un si grand soleil) looks like he enjoyed playing shady businessman Josselin Delmont, a character which reminds the one played by Philippe Caroit in Le prix de la vérité. Also with Juliette Chêne (Louise Jourdan), Cécilia Cara (Sandra Jourdan), Rémi Bichet (3) (Franck Neuville), Mathieu Coniglio (Alex Jourdan), Clara Quilichini (Victoria Delmont), Jean-Luc Joseph (Lieutenant Diawara), Laurence Bréheret (Commissaire Martens), etc. Produced by Episode Productions (JLA Groupe) and France Télévisions with Be-Films and RTBF (Télévision belge). With the participation of RTS Télévision Suisse and TV5Monde.

Exec produced by Olivier Guedj. Produced by Richard Berkowitz. Emmanuel Liebermann is the production manager. Music composed by Fabien Nataf. Cinematography by Christophe Soffietti. Editing by Nicolas Reydon. Filmed with the support of Département de la Charente. Directed by François Guérin, Le prix de la trahison will be aired on France 3 this saturday.

 

(1) Respectively titled in English Murder in Saint-Paul de Vence and Murder in Provence.

(2) There's a nice nod to the fact that Mimie Mathy was a member of French singer's Michel Fugain's Big Bazar during the 1970s.

(3) Rémi Bichet also played in Mauvais rôle, an episode of Crime is her game (Le crime lui va si bien) not yet shown by France 2 and also filmed in Angoulême.

 

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2019/05/le-prix-de-la-loyaute-france-3.html (Murder in Provence)

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2018/01/le-prix-de-la-verite-france-3.html (Murder in Saint-Paul de Vence)

PERFECT MURDERS (CRIMES PARFAITS) - COMMISSAIRE DIVISIONNAIRE DAMIEN ROCHE: LÉGITIME DÉFIANCE/UNE ÉTOILE EST MORTE (FRANCE 3)

French pubcaster France 3's detective drama Crimes parfaits is a "semi-anthology" where a murderer known from the start thinks he/she has committed the perfect crime but a detective (different in every couple of episodes) proves him/her wrong. 

It's the concept of the inverted detective story, popularized by Columbo though created in literature many years before the famous lieutenant. Five sleuths rotate in 20+ episodes since 2017 and Crimes parfaits is now available in the United States as Perfect Murders, thanks to SVOD service MHZ Choice.

The bottom line: Damien Roche, Renaissance man.

 

Philippe Caroit (R.I.S. Police scientifique, Les boeuf-carottes) is back as the falsely naive and slightly caustic Commissaire divisionnaire Damien Roche under the sun of the south of France. Garance Thenault returns as Lieutenant Gaëlle Mareski, a former soldier. In Légitime défiance, bestselling novelist Irène Delaune kills publisher Gérard Vannier in an apparent act of self-defence against an assault in front of a witness. Michel Laville, the renowned mathematician of Une étoile est morte, sends the young Delphine Leroy to death in a particularly sly way. The divisionnaire knows how to prepare a cappuccino. He's an expert in roses and speaks Italian. Roche even plays piano and he's good in mathematics.

 

Philippe Caroit delivers his customary brilliance in those episodes which remain pleasant enough despite a handful of bad dialogues, a couple of cliches and a format hampered by the 52-minute duration. Incidentally, the actor can really play the piano and he speaks italian. As well as English, Spanish and even German (he's one of the regulars of Über die Grenze for Das Erste (1)). "Commissaire divisionnaire Damien Roche" would be a worthy successor to Commissaire Magellan, made by the same people from Jean Luc Azoulay's JLA Groupe. Written by Céline Guyot and Martin Guyot (Mongeville, Magellan, Femmes de loi). Directed by François Guérin.

 

Astrid Veillon (Tandem) as Irène Delaune, Laurence Bréheret (Françoise Louret) and Laurent Olmedo (R.I.S. Police scientifique) as Gérard Vannier are the guest stars of Légitime défiance. Guillaume Cramoisan (Michel Laville), Marie Barrouillet (Delphine Leroy), Thierry Desroses (Femmes de loi, P.J.) as Dr. Puel and Pascale Michaud (Viviane Leroy) are the guest stars of Une étoile est morte. In France, Thierry Desroses is well-known as a dubbing artist. He's the french voice of Samuel L. Jackson. Produced by Épisode Productions (JLA Groupe) with France Télévisions. Co-produced by BE-Films and RTBF (Télévision belge) with RTS Radio Télévision Suisse.

Bernard Paccalet exec produces. Produced by Richard Berkowitz. Romain Sussfeld is the production manager. Music composed and conducted by Frédéric Porte. Cinematography by Christophe Soffietti. Editing by Romain Namura. Theme music of Crimes parfaits by Jean-Pierre Taïeb. Main title design by Laurent Brett for Brett & Cie (Cherif, Cassandre, Transporter - The Series). Distributed by France tv distribution. Philippe Caroit also stars in Meurtre à Cayenne (from the Murder in... collection), which will be shown on France 3 this saturday. His first novel, La malédiction de l'escargot (published by Éditions Anne Carrière), was released last week.

 

(1) Coming in the United States next month on MHZ Choice as Borderland.

Not yet aired by France 3.

 

https://mhzchoiceblog.com/can-you-solve-the-mystery-of-perfect-murders/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rjRQp_hPH0 (Trailer)

https://anne-carriere.fr/livre/la-malediction-de-lescargot

 

See also:

 

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2019/05/crimes-parfaits-pour-leternitea-coeur.html

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2018/05/crimes-parfaits-episodes-5-6-france-3.html

LE PRIX DE LA LOYAUTÉ (FRANCE 3)

Following the success of the TV movie Le prix de la vérité last year on France 3, comedian/actress Mimie Mathy takes another break from the long running TF1 hit Joséphine, ange gardien to return as Capitaine Marie Jourdan in Le prix de la loyauté. Mathieu Delarive is back as Capitaine Paul Danceny.

The bottom line: The price is (quite) right.

Crime drama expert scriptwriter Laurent Mondy (Commissaire Magellan, Les Cordier, juge et flic), who penned Le prix de la vérité, is behind the new case of this tenacious and quick-witted detective with a difference (1). In Le prix de la loyauté, Gendarmerie Captain Paul Danceny, now based in Aix-en-provence, is arrested by the police near the dead body of Dr. Gabriel Fabian. He manages to call for help his good friend Captain Marie Jourdan, of the Lyon Police judiciaire.

Fabian worked at the Clinique Vandeuil, an aesthetic surgery clinic owned by the arrogant Dr. Marc Vandeuil. Danceny was seen having an argument with the victim the day before his death. Procureur Gerfaud thinks he has his culprit but Marie quickly disculpates her friend. Paul's alibi is Vandeuil's wife Lorraine, with whom he has an affair. Gerfaud, who dislikes the gendarme, reluctantly gives the two captains four days to find the murderer.

Gabriel Fabian had a rivalry with Dr. Béatrice Keller, the assistant of Marc Vandeuil. And he dissuaded several patients to have surgery. Marie Jourdan meets Captain Danceny's father: Édouard Danceny, a high-ranking judge. With its rather commonplace plot, Le prix de la loyauté looks like an average episode of Commissaire Magellan. Both come from JLA Groupe, whose subsidiary Episode Productions made the two Marie Jourdan TV movies.

« Vous êtes très intéressante.
- Oubliez tout de suite. »

Miles away from her guardian angel signature role, Mimie Mathy does once again a great job as Captain Jourdan and her dialogues are effective. The inevitable and very "office du tourisme" aerial shots, one of the trademarks of France 3's crime dramas, are quite irritating. The very good guest cast includes two eminent actors who played in Enquêtes réservées (2009-2013) for the channel: Jérôme Anger (Édouard) and Yvon Back (Vandeuil).

Amusingly, Yvon Back appeared in two Joséphine, ange gardien (in 1999 and 2009). Also with: Gaëlle Marie (Lieutenant Sofia Zamara), Laetitia Fourcade (Lorraine Vandeuil), Sophie Staub (Clémence Vandeuil), Gaëlle Gillis (Jeanne Daguerre), Alexandra Mercouroff (Béatrice Keller), Marie Piton (Florence), Mathéo Capelli (Gerfaud), Marlène Veyriras (Pathologist), Nathalie Dodivers (Nurse), Carole Palcoux (Clinic employee), Maxime Florac (Police officer) and Valérie Leboute (Célia Moreau).

Directed by Grégory Ecale. Produced by Episode Productions with France Télévisions. Co-produced by Be-Films and RTBF (Télévision belge). With the participation of RTS Radio Télévision Suisse and TV5Monde. Produced by Richard Berkowitz. Bernard Paccalet exec produces. Olivier Guedj is the production manager. Music by Fabien Nataf (with Alain Mouysset). Cinematography by Olivier Guarguir. Le prix de la loyauté has yet to be aired by France 3.

(1) Mimie Mathy is 4 ft 4 tall (1.32 m).

Amandine Attard contributed to this review. 

See also:

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2018/01/le-prix-de-la-verite-france-3.html

CRIMES PARFAITS - COMMISSAIRE DIVISIONNAIRE DAMIEN ROCHE: POUR L'ÉTERNITÉ/À COEUR OUVERT (FRANCE 3)

French pubcaster France 3's detective drama Crimes parfaits is a "semi-anthology" where a murderer known from the start thinks he/she has committed the perfect crime but a detective (different in every couple of episodes) proves him/her wrong. 

It's the concept of the inverted detective story, popularized by Columbo though created in literature many years before the famous lieutenant.

Launched in 2017, Crimes parfaits is one of the many hits of France 3. The channel is the happy home of Commissaire Magellan, Mongeville, Meurtres à... or Capitaine Marleau. The later is no less than the most popular TV series in France, which certainly explains why Crimes parfaits is essentially a copycat factory of the gendarme portrayed by Corinne Masiero. With two noteworthy exceptions: Commander Renaud Delaunay, played by Antoine Duléry (Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie) in Aux abois/Mise en scène. And Commissaire divisionnaire Damien Roche.

Philippe Caroit (R.I.S. Police scientifique, Les boeuf-carottes) returns as Roche in Pour l'Éternité and À coeur ouvert. The falsely naive and slightly caustic detective first appeared in Entre deux eaux and Haute tension, written by Céline Guyot and Martin Guyot (Mongeville, Commissaire Magellan, Femmes de loi). They are back, as well as director Lionel Chatton (Tandem). Claire Borotra (La vengeance aux yeux clairs, Le mystère du lac), who played the wheelchair-bound procureure Gabrielle Rossi last year, is replaced by Garance Thenault as Lieutenant Gaëlle Mareski.

Mathilde Moreno, the revengeful caterer of Pour l'Éternité, organizes more than a wedding when she kidnaps the bride Iris and arranges her death as a suicide near a dam. Damien Roche meets the young lieutenant Mareski, now at the Sécurité urbaine after 12 years in the army. In À coeur ouvert, renowned surgeon Professor Jean-Pierre David shoots a male nurse who blackmailed him and makes the murder look as he was the real target because of some public stances. But the commissaire divisionnaire is nobody's fool.

In spite of their flaws, the previous two cases of Roche showed enough potential for a spin-off series or at least a return in Crimes parfaits. Mainly because of the always brilliant Philippe Caroit. This new pair of episodes is even better, thanks to some welcome retooling and the arrival of Garance Thenault. There are no romantic banters between Damien and Gaëlle (contrary to him and Gabrielle) but rather a father-daughter relationship. The only problem of Pour l'Éternité and À coeur ouvert is the ridiculous tendency of Crimes parfaits to find excuses for their murderers.

Gwendoline Hamon, who plays Commissaire Florence Cassandre in Cassandre (another crime drama hit of France 3), guest stars as Mathilde Moreno. The excellent Jean-Yves Berteloot is Professor David. Sandrine Quétier, formerly known as a television presenter, plays Dr. Rebecca Triolet (a possible regular character?) Pour l'Éternité also stars Aurélie Vaneck (Plus belle la vie) as Iris, Thomas Séraphine (Simon Landais), Stéphane Aubry (Hubert), Maximilien Pascal (Fussen), Lise Laffont (Carole), Maria Laborit (Hélène) and Julien Sabatié-Ancora (Romuald Berthon).

With (À coeur ouvert): Benjamin Egner (L'Art du crime) as Cédric, Marika Vibik (Odile), Alexia Degremont (Claudia), Michel Delcampo (Loris) and Benjamin Duc (Garagiste). Produced by Episode Productions (JLA Groupe) with France Télévisions. Co-produced by BE-Films and RTBF (Télévision belge) with the participation of RTS Radio Télévision Suisse and TV5Monde. Bernard Paccalet exec produces. Produced by Richard Berkowitz. Olivier Guedj is the production manager. Music composed and conducted by Frédéric Porte.

Cinematography by Maurizio Tiella. Theme music of Crimes parfaits by Jean-Pierre Taïeb. Main title design by Laurent Brett for Brett & Cie (Cherif, Cassandre, Transporter - The Series). Commissaire divisionnaire Damien Roche would be a great addition to France 3's saturday night crime slot. He clearly deserves his own series.

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2018/05/crimes-parfaits-episodes-5-6-france-3.html (Entre deux eaux/Haute tension)

[Update - October 2, 2020] Crimes parfaits will be available at the end of this month in the United States on the SVOD service MHZ Choice as Perfect Murders.

 
See also:

http://www.brettetcie.com/ (Brett & Cie)

CRIMES PARFAITS - COMMISSAIRE DIVISIONNAIRE DAMIEN ROCHE: ENTRE DEUX EAUX/HAUTE TENSION (FRANCE 3)

France 3's detective drama Crimes parfaits is a 6 x 52-minute "semi-anthology" where a murderer known from the start thinks he/she has committed the perfect crime but a detective (different in every couple of episodes) proves him/her wrong.

It's the concept of the inverted detective story, popularized by Columbo though created in literature many years before the famous lieutenant. The first season of this collection launched in December 2017 concludes with Episodes 5 and 6. Not yet aired by the channel, both are written by Céline Guyot  & Martin Guyot (Mongeville et Magellan: Un amour de jeunesse) and directed by Lionel Chatton.

In Entre deux eaux, Fabrice Golot and his recently met younger girlfriend Laurence Prigent are invited for the weekend by Fabrice's best friend Adrien Evrard and his wife Camille. Adrien dies in an apparent accident during a boat ride. Commissaire divisionnaire Damien Roche suspects Laurence. The plot is hasty and its resolution tries hard to sound Christie-esque but Philippe Caroit (R.I.S. Police scientifique, Les boeuf-carottes) is brilliant as Roche. Falsely naive with a discrete dose of causticity, the detective is nobody's fool. His superior is wheelchair-bound procureure Gabrielle Rossi (Claire Borotra), with whom he shares romantic banters. Also starring Bruno Wolkowitch (Fabrice), Vanessa Demouy (Camille), Déborah Krey (Laurence), Frédéric Anscombre (Adrien), Jacques Bouanich (Patrick Travers) and Guillaume Denaiffe (Franck).

Haute tension is the second case of Damien Roche and it's undeniably the best. Building contractor Fabien Magrini went to prison because of the malpractices committed by architect Laurent Lombard. He gets revenge by killing Laurent with a small lamp and a remote-controlled miniature robot while his victim is in a spa. Lombard regularly "borrowed" a client's house under construction for some intimate meetings with his mistress Carole. Commissaire divisionnaire Roche "cherche la femme" before focusing on Fabien. He quickly finds the man rather sympathetic. Once again brilliant, Philippe Caroit faces the excellent Thomas Jouannet as the murderer in a confrontation which reminds of Columbo. Also with Xavier Lemaître (Laurent Lombard), Jérémie Covillault (Luc), Flavie Péan (Carole), Martine Fontaine (Evelyne), etc.

The banters between Damien and Gabrielle feel more natural than in the previous episode. The scene where Roche searches for the robot is very funny. Commissaire divisionnaire Damien Roche definitely deserves his own series. Produced by Episode Productions (JLA Groupe) with France Télévisions. Co-produced by BE-Films and RTBF (Télévision belge) with the participation of RTS Radio Télévision Suisse, TV5Monde and 13ème Rue (NBCUniversal). Bernard Paccalet exec produces. Produced by Richard Berkowitz. Laurent Paul is the production manager. Music composed and conducted by Frédéric Porte. Cinematography by Maurizio Tiella. Theme music of Crimes parfaits by Jean-Pierre Taïeb. Filmed in Marseille, Martigues and St Chamas between November and December 2017.

[Update - October 2, 2020] Crimes parfaits will be available at the end of this month in the United States on the SVOD service MHZ Choice as Perfect Murders.

 
https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2018/01/crimes-parfaits-episodes-3-4-france-3.html
https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2017/12/crimes-parfaits-episodes-1-2-france-3.html

LAST MONTH ON THIS BLOG

So... 

 

REVIEWS 

- Alexandra Ehle (Formerly La légiste, France 3):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2018/03/alexandra-ehle-formerly-la-legiste.html

- Joséphine, ange gardien: Trois campeurs et un mariage 1 & 2 (Crossover with Camping Paradis, TF1):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2018/03/josephine-ange-gardien-trois-campeurs.html

- [Favourite of the Month] Master Spy (MeesterSpion):

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2018/03/master-spy-meesterspion-2016.html

- Peur sur la base (France 3): 

https://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2018/03/peur-sur-la-base-france-3.html

ALEXANDRA EHLE (FORMERLY LA LÉGISTE, FRANCE 3)

A hand is found in the water, inside a hermetic bag. Alexandra Ehle, a free-spirited forensic pathologist, decides to lead her very personal investigation beyond the legal limits of her functions and the police work.
 

The bottom line: Coroner Marleau.

The crime dramas of pubcaster France 3 are a fully-fledged genre amongst this giant police station which is French television fiction. The channel's long string of hits includes collections like Meurtres à..., Crime à, or the "semi-anthology" Crimes parfaits. Series such as Mongeville or Commissaire Magellan, whose success spawned two crossovers. And one-off TV movies: Peur sur la base, starring Audrey Fleurot (Spiral, Witnesses 2) is a most recent example. Since 2015 the jewel of the crown of their crime/mystery line-up is Capitaine Marleau, the ratings juggernaut and pop culture phenomenon from helmer and producer Josée Dayan.

Created by the very busy novelist and scriptwriter Elsa Marpeau (1), this series stars Corinne Masiero as an offbeat, sharp-minded and quick-witted sleuth of the Gendarme nationale. The parka and the chapka of Marleau (no first name) are as known in France as Columbo's raincoat. Huge in both first transmission and repeats, Capitaine Marleau was last year's most popular French drama. No wonder why cousins of the eccentric female sleuth started to pop up on the channel. One of Marleau's less distant relatives was definitely the police captain played by Isabelle Gélinas in the first couple of episodes of Crimes parfaits. 

Alexandra Ehle (pronounced "Elle") takes the family tree to another level. Formerly titled La légiste, this 90-minute pilot was created and written by Elsa Marpeau in person. Julie Depardieu, who was irresistible in an episode of Capitaine Marleau as one of the gendarme's improbable deputies, plays the title role (2). Alexandra Ehle is a brilliant and whimsical pathologist (3) for the Institut médico-légal of Bordeaux. In fact, she's so brilliant and whimsical that the pre-credit sequence tells us she's "la meilleure légiste de France" (no less) but her previous assistant left her to become a hat maker. For those who didn't get that she's whimsical there's a subliminal reminder with her theme music, built on Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy.

Monsieur, her dog, sits at her desk while she sleeps on an examination table. He's so cool that he can blink. The enthusiastic new assistant of Ms Ehle, the bumbling and uptight Théo Durrel (Xavier Guelfi), is a graduate from the Marleau Academy of Eccentric sleuth Sidekicks. Alexandra's contact in the police force is the gruff Commandant Antoine Doisneau (Belgian actor Bernard Yerlès as another cop). Doisneau pretends to be annoyed because he's less than a second fiddle in his criminal cases. The public prosecutor complained (off-screen) about Ehle's frequent interferences but Antoine has the ability to suspend his disbelief and the Code de procédure pénale because he's her brother. Of course, the Doisneau family was struck by a tragedy which prompted bro and sis to choose their careers.

Formulaic TV is not a crime, even on France 3 which tends to clone its own dramas (starting with its regional collections). It can even be entertaining when properly done. Alas, Alexandra Ehle is apathetic, cliché-ridden to the point of parody and filled with terrible dialogues. The investigation quickly loses all interest. There are some mandatory "office du tourisme" shots and if text messages a la Sherlock and speed up views weren't enough, Alexandra has an "uber-cool" app to represent the subject of her case in 3D. Sara Martins (Death in Paradise) plays Alexandra Ehle's no-nonsense boss Diane Dombres. The great Andréa Ferréol guest stars as Laurette Doisneau, Alexandra and Antoine's mother.

Also with Sophie Le Tellier (Ludivine Morel), Laurent Maurel (Joël Baupin), Philippe Caulier (Capitaine Roméo Charron), Nathan Courgeon (Mathis Doisneau), etc. Produced by Carma Films (JLA Groupe) and Étoile Rouge Productions with France Télévisions. Co-produced by R.T.B.F (Télévision belge) and Nexus Factory, with the participation of RTS Radio Télévision Suisse. Produced by Christophe Carmona & Clémentine Vaudaux. Jean-Claude Marchant exec produces. Music composed by Stéphane Le Gouvello. Cinematography by Dominique Fausset. Filmed with the support of Région Nouvelle Aquitaine. Directed by Nicolas Guicheteau (L'Art du crime, La vengeance aux yeux clairs).

(1) Elsa Marpeau also works for France 2's collection Mystère à Paris and she adapted Flemish crime drama Professor T. for TF1.

(2) Her father Gérard Depardieu was the special guest star of Capitaine Marleau: Philippe Muir (2015), the pilot of Capitaine Marleau.
(3) "Brillante, fantasque et libre", said the press release. For the readers who don't speak French it's the equivalent of "John River, a brilliant police officer whose genius and fault-line is the fragility of his mind."

LE PRIX DE LA VÉRITÉ (FRANCE 3)

[Favourite of the Month]  [Spoiler-free review] The body of a young woman is found in the swimming pool of a luxury hotel in Saint-Paul de Vence. The local gendarmerie investigates but Captain Marie Jourdan, a police detective, abruptly invites herself on the case for a personal reason.

The bottom line: Mimie Mathy is "the new sheriff in town". And that's good.

Written by crime drama expert scriptwriter Laurent Mondy (Commissaire Magellan, Les Cordier, juge et flic) and directed by Emmanuel Rigaut, Le prix de la vérité (1) is a TV movie (and possible backdoor pilot?) which will air on French pubcaster France 3 this saturday. Comedian and actress Mimie Mathy, who usually stars in the long-running TF1 hit Joséphine, ange gardien, plays  Marie Jourdan, a tenacious and quick-witted police captain with a difference (2).

« Apparemment vous n'avez pas tous les formats chez les gendarmes. Chez nous ça va du small au double XL, ça vous pose un problème? »

Célia Moreau is found dead in the swimming pool of the Lion d'Or, a magnificent luxury hotel in Saint-Paul de Vence. Commandant Luc Langevin (Charles Clément) and Capitaine Paul Danceny (Mathieu Delarive), of the gendarmerie, believe it was an accident. Daniel Caron (Philippe Caroit), the obnoxious owner of the place, is anxious to open the hotel photo exhibition of a lucrative artist called Janus. But Capitaine Marie Jourdan, from the Lyon Police judiciaire, claims that the case is hers. Soon she proves to Dr. Yasmine Labri (Selma Kouchy), the pathologist, that Célia was murdered.

« Je suppose que vous avez vos petites habitudes avec votre ami Langevin. Mais, voyez-vous, je m'en fous complètement. »

Commandant Langevin, whose wife was saved by Caron when the latter was a doctor, and Capitaine Danceny reluctantly accept the presence of Jourdan on the investigation. Daniel Caron becomes Marie's main suspect and the alibi of a person of interest is Paul Danceny's daughter Chloé (Louna Espinosa). The victim worked in a stud farm belonging to Virgile Caron (Pierre-Yves Bon), the unbearable son of Daniel, who harasses his female employees. Captain Jourdan happens to have a very personal motive to find the murderer of Célia Moreau. A sedated young man in a clinic could be the key of this mystery.

« Je dois en référer au commandant Langevin, c'est mon supérieur direct. 
-  Pour pisser aussi vous êtes obligé de lui demander l'autorisation? »

Past an omnipresent music, the inevitable and very "office du tourisme" aerial shots, and a few cliches (Chloé and the "bad boy"), Le prix de la vérité is well crafted and there's a welcome plot twist. It looks that Mimie Mathy enjoyed this opportunity to get away from her guardian angel character with a more dramatic role. Philippe Caroit (R.I.S. Police Scientifique) played twice alongside Mimie Mathy in Joséphine, ange gardien. They seem to have fun with this on-screen reunion and the dialogues between Marie and the odious Daniel Caron (« Je vais vous écraser comme une merde. Ca va me porter chance. »)

« Vous pensez que je l'ai tué? Oh, c'est petit ça... Oh pardon. 
-  Je vous en prie. Vous savez ce qu'on dit. Plus c'est grand plus c'est... »

Charles Clément, Pierre-Yves Bon and Michel Biel (Demain nous appartient), who plays Jordan Guichard, appeared in episodes of the TF1 series too. Selma Kouchy is a regular of France 3's Commissaire Magellan. Fans of the channel's crime dramas will certainly want more of this new detective. Captain Marie Jourdan, and the gendarmes Danceny and Langevin  would definitely be a pleasant addition to France 3's  popular crime/mystery line-up. Also starring Cécile Pallas (Jeanne de Courcy), Catherine Zavlav (Laurence Meurisse), Vanessa Liautey (Juliette Larcher), Murielle Huet des Aunay (Clarisse), Rébecca Finet (Nicole) and Sophie Payan as Célia Moreau.

« Vous m'avez fait peur. 
-  T'inquiète, j'ai l'habitude. »

Produced by Episode Productions (JLA Groupe) with France Télévisions. Co-produced by Be-Films and RTBF (Télévision belge). With the participation of RTS Radio Télévision Suisse, TV5Monde and 13ème Rue (NBC Universal) Music by Fabien Nataf (with Alain Mouysset). Produced by Richard Berkowitz. Bernard Paccalet exec produces. Anne Leduc is the associate producer for RTBF. Olivier Garguir is the cinematographer. Filmed with the support of the Département des Alpes Maritimes. RTBF's La Une and Swiss channel RTS Un aired Le prix de la vérité ahead of French television.

(1) Formerly Liens de sang.
(2) Mimie Mathy is 4 ft 4 tall (1.32 m).

(Amandine Attard contributed to this review) 

JULIE DEPARDIEU IS "LA LÉGISTE" FOR FRANCE 3

Another eccentric sleuth on France 3 in the wake of its megahit Capitaine Marleau?
 

Julie Depardieu is currently filming the pilot of La légiste for the French pubcaster. In this TV movie, written by Elsa Marpeau (the creator of Capitaine Marleau), she plays a brilliant and whimsical pathologist (1) who conducts her own investigations in Bordeaux. Xavier Guelfi and Bernard Yerlès co-star. Sara Martins (Death in Paradise) is amongst the guest cast.

Both Martins and Julie Depardieu guest starred in Capitaine Marleau (but not together). Interestingly, Depardieu played an improbable deputy of Marleau in the episode À ciel ouvert. Her father Gérard Depardieu was the special guest star of Capitaine Marleau: Philippe Muir (2015), the series pilot. Directed by Nicolas Guicheteau (L'Art du crime, La vengeance aux yeux clairs), La légiste is produced by Carma Films (JLA Groupe) and Étoile Rouge Productions.

(1) "Brillante, fantasque, et libre" says the press release.

http://www.leblogtvnews.com/2017/11/julie-depardieu-xavier-guelfi-et-bernard-yerles-tournent-le-pilote-de-la-serie-la-legiste.html

[Update - April 4, 2018]

Review of Alexandra Ehle (ex-La légiste):

http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2018/03/alexandra-ehle-formerly-la-legiste.html