The Art of Crime, (2017 – present) stars Nicolas Gob (A French Village) and Éléonore Bernheim.

Murderers in Paris think about art before committing a crime – right? They have the Louvre, and so many famous French artists: Degas, Manet, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Rodin for starters. Aren’t all Parisians cerebral junkies who feast on literature, opera, art, fashion, wine, and jazz from the time they are born till the time they die? It is only natural to assume that they murder sometimes too. The average detective in France is probably not an art connoisseur,(probably brought into the city), and as a result, an art historian has to be brought in. She along with the occasional support from her father, who shares her knowledge and pedigrees, must work side by side with homicide to find the culprit behind each heinous crime. In the meantime, one learns more about art and the other about crime.

All kidding aside, this is a wonderful and unique way of presenting a murder investigation TV show with fun and frivolity. It just occurred to me today, as I was researching the actors for this writing, that Nicolas Gob (Antoine Verlay) was Jean Marchetti in A French Village – the dirty investigator who showed up in Season One and turned the city upside down, all for the sake of his own pursuits. Since he is bald in The Art of Crime, I kept being confused about where I had seen him before. I assumed he was the actor from an East German themed TV show, also on MhZ Choice but neglected to look it up until today. Éléonore Bernheim (Florence Chassagne) is not an actress I am familiar with but find her character touching all the same. Well acted by the entire cast as we enjoy these fictional tales brought to us week after week.

Florence or “Flo Flo” as her dad affectionately calls her, wears a stereotypical Parisian outfit. She is the quintessential feminine woman. Dresses and skirts, beret, complete with various scarves to add simplicity to a wardrobe that has a lot to say. Her clothes take the 80’s to a modern level. Très chic! She sticks out as being different from the detectives, including women, who wear nothing but drab jeans and t-shirts. It shows the naïve viewer that there is a difference between the artist and the detective. One has more taste!

As the seasons continue, Florence and Antoine will develop a relationship, that only Florence is aware of. Florence is all knowledge with a tiny bit of street smarts but a lot of psychological repression. She visits a therapist and talks about her dreams. Other times she will be visited by the ghosts of artists from the renaissance and other time periods, who have influenced the murder she is investigating. Antoine is lost in his investigator role and is oblivious to women. While in his denial, he pursues a relationship that makes sense but never seems to hit its mark. Will the opposites ever get together? Stay tuned as we watch the season finale.