Of Money and Blood

Inspired from actual events that happened in France during the late 2000's, this fast paced and engrossing tale is sometimes hard to watch because it is very painful to see that such folks can exist, breath, eat, enjoy life. Yes, it was sometimes a torture for me to see such characters, splendidly played of course, enjoying life after cheating the tax payer's money, thru a high scale swindle. I hated them so much that I fought against myself not to smash my TV set to kkill them. And what a delight to see those mother f....at long last obtaining what they deserved. Because whilst they spent their money, they "bled", it was like blood they left on their track, then sharks around them were not long to appear. Olivier Marchal already made CARBONE, back in 2017, speaking precisely of this swindle.

This show starts out really strong. The story is great, the characters are engaging and the acting doesn't disappoint.

You more or less know where the story is headed, but you still can't wait for the next episode.

With the exception of the annoying daughter plot (both the plot and the daughter), i really enjoyed myself.

Then comes the second part : episodes 6 to 12. The story becomes boring and repetitive. The characters you previously liked become annoying, and you find yourself unable to root for or relate to any of them. The acting remains good, but that's not enough to save the show.

It's a missed opportunity, they probably should've wrapped the show in 8 episodes.

The first part of 6 episodes is good, clever scenario, correct acting mostly Vincent Lindon. It could have finished at the end of episode 6 and all would have been a descent serie.

But then, and I really don't know why, they decided to add 6 more episodes. Nearly 6 more hours. The problem is that they had no more ideas for that. Total lack of content. So they repeat, and repeat again the same things. It becomes finally really annoying, much too long and a never-ending story.

I reach the end to be sure i didn't miss anything. Honestly it was a big relief. I do not recommend to go so far. But everyone will make his self analysis.

This studio canal TV how starts strong but gets dumb very fast. The whole swindle makes no sense: VAT is not paid back by the central bank but by the buyer and the whole scheme was that the seller was keeping it after bankrupting the fake companies Who writes such idiocratic scripts? The customs officers and his junkie daughter side story is stupid, in fact all the side stories are dumb... Characters are dumb, dialogues are dumb. It drags on for episode with basically nothing happening. Canal plus recently produced great TV shows but most of them are stupid like this one. Save yourself the time and watch something else...

The Carbon Scam has been the biggest one in French history. It took months to the French Administration to admit they had been stolen over a billion in Euros. Schneider shines as the broker fascinated with the lifestyle of crooks, then gangsters, who soon wanted their share. Scandal led to a bloodshed. Lindon plays his usual "decent man" but is not surprising. Olga Kurylenko adds dephts to a character who could have a caricature. The main surprise comes from comedian Ramzy Bedia as the eccentric, analpabetic but survivor crook, stealing the first half of the series. Director Giannoli cuts short any accusation of antisemitism (events took place within the Parisian Jewih community) by adding Israeli cops and a rabbi advising Lindon's character about his own repressed Jewsih origins.