Saturday movie platforms - Alissa Musumeci
Identity changes, enigmas and unexpected twists and turns - that's what's in store for us. Lupin, in Arsène's shadow, on Netflix since January 2021. George Kay and François Uzan, creators of the series, were right on the money. A few days after its release, the first part of Lupin is already in the top 10 of most-watched content in many countries. Switzerland, Brazil and many others have been won over by this adaptation of the short story collections written by Maurice Leblanc, starting in 1905. The cast includes Assane Diop (Omar Sy) and his ex-girlfriend Claire (Ludivine Sagnier).
1995. Young Assane's life is torn apart by his father's irreversible act. Babakar is the private chauffeur of a wealthy family. The head of the family is Hubert Pellegrini, an influential businessman. One day, Assane's father finds himself accused of theft by his boss. The humble father, who is only a servant, knows full well that his version of events carries no weight with Pellegrini. Riddled with guilt over his son, Babakar takes his own life in his prison cell. Assane, orphaned at the age of fifteen, is placed in a private school.
2020. Assane, now a father, is more determined than ever to avenge his father. What is his inspiration? The famous book Arsène Lupin, gentleman burglar - a nickname illustrating the contrast between his less-than-honest activity and his social life. Babakar decides to give his son the book that was in the majestic Pellegrini library. The characters of Luis Perenna, a cleaning agent, Paul Sernine, a wealthy entrepreneur and young Maxime, a computer scientist, were inspired by this reading. All these identities are effectively anagrams of Arsène Lupin. Lupin's talent that fascinates Assane? He's always one step ahead. All his actions are meticulously studied and prepared.
Family love, forever and ever
When viewing Lupin, In the end, we are transported by different emotions. The most remarkable is the pain we feel at Assane's journey. This series offers us a very beautiful notion of life, which can move us. We have a young teenager whose life is punctuated by heartbreaking events and choices made against his will, made all the more difficult by the fact that he has recently been orphaned. Over 25 years, Babakar's story becomes increasingly clear to Assane, who goes so far as to put himself in danger to avenge his father. This action-packed, puzzle-filled series questions perseverance and the search for truth. Assane doesn't give up, always going the extra mile and implementing strategies that are each more inventive than the last. In the end, Lupin's actions aren't honest, but his heart mingles with his reason. The viewer empathizes with this child's tragic fate.
A sequel announced
The second part of the first season will air this summer. The next season is already in preparation, which can only fill with enthusiasm those who, like me, adored the series' debut! Could it be Omar Sy's charisma that has us so spellbound? One thing's for sure: by the end of the first five episodes, viewers are hooked. Each actor, even the secondary characters, has given his or her character a unique personality. I can't think of a single moment when boredom got the better of us. What's more, I find that the series is very clearly constructed, with flashbacks to Assane's adolescence helping us to understand his various choices. In this way, there's no risk of missing an important passage or being left confused by a scene.
Write to the author: alissa.musumeci@leregardlibre.com
Photo credits: © Emmanuel Guimier - Netflix
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