L'art du crime

Two people that appear to have nothing in common (but they do) , solve art mysteries and murders in a funny way. Love it!

We stream MHz and found this wonderful French series that is a mystery based on art crime. The very best part of this series, for both of us, is the information the show provides on various artists and paintings. We wish we had some of this information when searching out famous paintings on our visits to the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. If you enjoy mysteries,and art combined with a learning experience this is géniale (brilliant). We hope MHz will offer all seasons available.

I have two degrees in History of Art and have visited many world class fine arts museums, plus I've studied the beautiful French language off and on for years so I especially appreciate "L'Art du Crime" which is so well done and often hilarious - one particularly amusing episode involves Fragonard's The Bolt/The Lock - 1777 (which we saw on display at a special exhibit at the Luxembourg Gardens) depicting a man and a woman behind closed doors in a disheveled bedroom. The two main TV characters give the painting a whole new lease on life - the bald cop Captain in a boyish Dutch-looking wig and art expert Florence especially hilarious lusting away after him in period dress and a long gray fright wig. Elsewhere, her face and expressive tender brown eyes often remind me of the Mona Lisa. So well done. I also love scenes that take us viewers down into the depths of the ancient Louvre - been there and done that. Watching this series is a great reminder of my wonderful visits to Paris with my husband who also gets a big kick out of this series. Perfect entertainment combining art, crime and romance. We view these shows on MHZ. I've noted some criticisms of the show due to the romantic angle but the brainy funny Florence has had her share of failed romances and just can't help falling for her co-worker, the serious but often lumbering cop on a mission.

The acting is superb all around, and the art & history lessons are fascinating whether you are familiar with the art history or not. And you don't need to be an expert because it's really about solving a mystery, contending with new clues, and watching further growth and developments between Captain Verlay and Florence. I have seen both actors in other shows and they are consistently real in every role, excellent actors. The sets are lovely, and every character is just right (tho I could live without Juliette). We just finished binging Season 4, I think it was the best ever, and will wait breathlessly for Season 5.

This series is hilarious! It reminds me a bit of the American show Castle. In that show the no nonsense detective was a woman and quirky consultant was a famous mystery writer/author who was a man. The series will definitely appeal to viewers who are art-buffs that also enjoy a good who-dunnit crime show. It's this intersection that gives the show it's edge. Each crime revolves around a classical painting or notable artist's work. I am geeky enough to want more on the art and less of the crime but honestly the show is nicely balanced. The two leads have great chemistry and if you enjoy French humor, this show is a delight. My French is passable enough but there are decent English subtitles and the French dialogue isn't super complex making it easy to follow. Action scenes aren't anything spectacular. It's your typical long shot of cops chasing after the fleeing suspect. Instead this is really a show about solving the crime - with the crimes being wonderfully inventive, and the criminal in some way being motivated by art or the sake of art. Overall quite an entertaining series!