L'ora della verità

French television seems very keen on glamourous murder-dramas set in its beautiful south (or at least, they're the sort of dramas that are often shown in the UK). If you've got, flaunt it, I guess, although it makes me smile to recall the 1980s BBC soap opera 'Howard's Way' that tried to project glamour while set on the English south coast. But while 'Time is a Killer' may be glamorous, it's hard to call it good, with a preposterous plot that ultimately turns upon a woman who has been kept imprisoned for 20 years just happening to work out how to escape literally moments before the cavalry comes to rescue her. Forget the murders, and it's just lifestyle porn. Even the presence is the cast of two veterans of the excellent 'Spiral' can't save it; watch that for a (very unglamorous) look at how murder stories should really be told.

We have watched four episodes. It is so slow, you lose your train of thought. Thierry Goddard is under utilized. They never show the rescue at the car accident. Wait until the first season is over, whenever that is, to binge watch. If you intend to waste your time. Otherwise, you will spend most of each episode trying to figure out what you missed from previously.

So far, there are 11 episodes posted. If there are more, do not know.

I have watched one episode so far and may not watch more of them. Many of the characters look too young e.g. Clo's grandfather looks just about old enough to be her father and the retired police detective looks younger than he did 25 years earlier. Although Natale's hair and beard have been sprinkled with a bit of talcum powder he, too, does not look as if he has aged by 25 years. The singing is a bit embarrassing too.

This starts as a normal murder mystery then suddenly goes haywire. Corsican mafia, feuds, family crypts, a mute, woman imprisoned for 20 years miraculously escapes, corrupt police, secret children, affairs and the most hilarious moment when the escaped abductee falls off a cliff. The families are all dysfunctional, for example a weird witch grandmother beating her disabled grandson, a father and mother hating their daughter in law because she is not Corsican. Not sure why this got made unless it is some surreal comedy. Mediocre karaoke singing throughout, average acting but fabulous scenery - a Corsican tourism special.

Who ever had reviewed this with such low scores must be a fan of your typical US or British drama. This is a sophisticated well directed and beautiful drama with twists and turns that leave you baying for the next installment. Wonderful.