Roger Moore as The Saint
To everyone’s surprise, this quintessentially French series, with its debut episode shot inside the Louvre, has become a top-10 hit on Netflix. Yet what better escape from pandemic and impeachment than light-hearted capers through the drawing rooms and across the rooftops of Paris? Sy is the kind of charismatic actor viewers would follow anywhere. His grin could charm the diamonds off a dowager and does.
Bravado has always been Lupin’s trademark. The entire production is as stylish, choreographed and silly as the pre-credits teaser in a James Bond movie. And it’s beautiful. Cinematographers Christophe Nuyen and Martial Schmeltz fill every episode with rich colour and texture: moody night-time boulevards, sparkling jewels, noir shadows. Even a hoodie looks luxurious in this light.