Summary
- Clive Owen’s performance as Monsieur Spade brings film noir to the modern era.
- The gripping mystery in this AMC series keeps viewers invested from the start.
- The complex narrative may be too much at times, but excellent writing make Monsieur Spade a must-watch for fans of noir detective mysteries.
Sam Spade, author Dashiell Hammett’s iconic private detective, is forced out of retirement to solve horrific murders tied to a sinister conspiracy. Monsieur Spade, a six-episode limited series, rivets as a gripping neo-noir mystery loaded with duplicitous characters and surprising twists. Clive Owen‘s evolved take on a classic character absolutely mesmerizes. Spade is no longer a trenchcoat-wearing, fedora-clad, chain-smoker, but he hasn’t lost his toughness or investigative acumen. He realizes that events years earlier from The Maltese Falcon have followed him with brutal repercussions.
Spade (Owen) arrives with a frightened young girl to 1955 Bozouls, France. Teresa (Ella Feraud) is the daughter of the deceased Brigid O’Shaughnessy. She hired Spade to take Teresa to her father from Istanbul. Spade knows that Philippe Saint-André (Jonathan Zaccaï) is a dangerous man who can’t be trusted but resolves to carry out Brigid’s last wish. He gets a cold reception from Philippe’s mother Audrey (Caroline Silhol). She refutes Teresa and claims to have no knowledge of her criminal son’s whereabouts.
A frustrated Spade and Teresa get stuck by the side of the road in a fierce thunderstorm. Fate intervenes when the beautiful widower Gabrielle (Chiara Mastroianni) notices their predicament in her Rolls-Royce. Eight years later, in 1963, Spade has inherited Gabrielle’s lush vineyard and palatial mansion. He grieves for her, but dutifully still watches over Teresa (Cara Bossom) at a nearby convent. Now a blossoming teenager, she frequently rebels against the nuns that have raised her.
A More Mature Version of Spade
Monsieur Spade
Release Date January 14, 2024
Seasons 1
Pros
- Clive Owen brings film noir to the modern era with a great performance.
- A gripping mystery has us invested from the start.
- Excellent writing keeps the characters and suspense believable.
Cons
- The plot can be overly complicated and requires fastidious attention.
Spade is startled to find Teresa covered in blood at his door in the middle of the night. She ran in terror from a massacre. Something unthinkable has happened to Mother Superior (Martine Schambacher) and the nuns. Spade leaves Teresa in his living room and races to his closet. He opens an old suitcase and rummages past his trench coat and hat to find his gun.
Monsieur Spade begins with the execution-style murder of six nuns. Spade must get off the bench and back into the game to solve this hideous act. He has little faith in the abilities of Patrice Michaud (Denis Ménochet). The Chief of Police despises Spade as an arrogant American with little respect for French customs. A sentiment shared by other men in the village, especially Jean-Pierre (Stanley Weber), owner of the Hot Club, a swinging jazz bar. The PTSD-wracked former soldier believes Spade lusts for his gorgeous wife Marguerite (Louise Bourgoin). Spade must navigate a labyrinth of deception. He learns his new home holds dark secrets that entangle everyone in a spiderweb of lies.
Monsieur Spade has an extremely complex narrative with many moving parts. The plot jumps back and forth in time as Spade uncovers vital clues. The flashbacks allow for a deep dive into the supporting cast’s backstories. Simmering tensions after the war between French loyalists and Nazi sympathizers boil over in the aftermath of current geopolitical conflicts. To say there’s a lot going on here is an understatement. This isn’t a show for casual viewers to drop in. Its serialized nature means seeing the previous episode is a must to follow the plot. You’ll be utterly lost otherwise. The characters don’t rehash details to keep the audience up to speed.
Related: Exclusive: Clive Owen Mesmerizes as Monsieur Spade
Writer and director Scott Frank, the superb screenwriter of Out of Sight and Logan, is masterful in every regard. Monsieur Spade drips with beguiling noir elements. The characters, witty dialogue, costumes, and stunning production design pay homage to Hammett and Humphrey Bogart’s interpretation of Spade but take him in a completely different direction. Spade is older and wiser with a healthier dose of cynicism. He knows the evil that lurks in the hearts of bad men. His hope for a quiet life with a new love is given a harsh reality check. Trouble has found Spade like a magnet. But he’s not a man who flinches in the face of danger. His adversaries discover that Spade’s badass reputation is well-earned.
Clive Owen’s Sophisticated Approach
Owen’s lead performance is damn good. He’s not doing a Bogart impersonation. Owen puts his own stamp on Spade with a sophisticated approach. The calculus here is that die-hard fans have seen The Maltese Falcon and read the novel, but most people will be new to the character. He has to please the old guard while keeping a new audience equally enthralled. Owen makes Spade his own, redefining the character for modern audiences. That’s no easy task from such vaunted source material.
Related: The Best Unconventional Detective TV Shows and Movies, Ranked
Monsieur Spade surpasses already high expectations by a mile. It sets a new standard for noir detective mysteries. The series never devolves into cheap gimmicks, gratuitous violence, or salacious sex to hold your interest. It is adult entertainment meant for those who appreciate first-rate cinematic artistry.
Monsieur Spade is a production of Black Bear Television and Haut et Court TV. It premieres January 14th on AMC and can be streamed on AMC+.
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