Cannes Confidential (2023) User Reviews

Underwhelming

[terrybd-113-176859 · 6/10 · 6 July 2023]

I watched 4 episodes, so I gave this a real shot.

Let's start with the good. The show itself is a regular crime per episode with an underlying back story tying the main character into some larger mystery. The setting is beautiful, the people are beautiful.

Unfortunately, that's where the good ends. A sulky, work obsessed female lead broken down by a charming male counterpart is becoming a little overdone (and was.definitely done better in Mallorca Files), and this barely plays with the formula enough to set itself apart. The back-story itself is just too slow burning and the individual crimes of each episode just don't feel very well built.

I feel awful typing this, but I do feel that if the French actors were able to speak in their native tongue, their acting would feel far more convincing and their personalities would shine a little more. As it stands it feels forced in a lot of ways, and it's made worse with the contrast to Jamie Bamber's "upper-class" English accent. The chief of police I'm still not sure isn't dubbed even after watching so much.

Enough of that though. All around, I think it's watchable so I'm not going super low on the rating, but there are far better examples of the genre to go to before you get to this.

Fun but flawed action murder mystery

[jimdbs · 6/10 · 28 June 2023]

Overall, I have enjoyed this so far. There is a mix of murder mystery via police (and a questionable guy who seems to be good intentioned) and action, with a beautiful setting in Cannes.

The lead male character and actor is great, and some other characters and guest characters are fine, but unfortunately the lead woman detective character is overly serious and mean. Her dialogue and delivery is often fairly corny as well. Similar issue for her boss, who at least is on the screen far less.

Those behind the show likely wanted the detective to have a heavy French accent (when speaking English) to make it feel a bit more realistic as it's set in south France, but it still feels odd there is almost no French dialogue at all, including from that lead detective. I think adding some would benefit the show and I hope they can incorporate some in future episodes if the already completed episodes don't have any.

I'll continue watching and update my score and review at the end of the season.

Side note, the question below the user reviews asks, "Was this review helpful?" Not, "do you agree with the score they gave?" My score wasn't even that high, but since it's not below a 5 and mentions some positives, those who completely hate this show are using "No" like a downvote.

Actresses a Mess

[vintagegeek-97465 · 4/10 · 8 August 2023]

We wanted to like it. But a little too woke with actresses that can't act, who lack any femininity, and spend all the time fist fighting and kick boxing the men (the bad guys). Beautiful scenery on the French Riviera. That's it. The lead actress has zero charisma. The other actress hates everyone and takes the fun out of everything. There's no pleasantness in this shows. No sexy undercurrents. They tried to make a Mallorca Files but missed in every aspect. The Mallorca Files is the way it should have been done. Recast the whole thing with characters that have effervescence and panache. And don't have every episode end with ladies duking it out, and badly I might say.

Terrible

[drewindallas · 1/10 · 3 July 2023]

I wanted to like this so badly. Love Jamie Bamber, beautiful scenery on the French Riviera, heists, capers... what could go wrong? Well..... apparently a lot. Start with a lead actress with zero charisma and acting ability, then take yourself too seriously and remove all of the fun and romance and intrigue and make it weird and dark with everyone pissed off all the time. Whoever was in charge here missed the boat completely and should really have taken a cue from shows like The Mallorca Files or Candace Renoir. It's a shame really to waste so much potential. Get a different lead actress and revamp.

11 minutes

[biffspeaks · 1/10 · 28 June 2023]

First off, if this was supposed to be a spoof and the female lead was intentionally acting horribly, I apologize and the rest of the public should have a peak. However, if this was in any way suppose to be serious TV, someone should be fired immediately. Perhaps if they are French speakers, they should've spoke French and put in some sub titles. No value was added with their speaking English, which they certainly spoke well but that was what they clearly were focused on, speaking that is, and not acting. What an absolute abomination and worse, waste of a beautiful back drop. For a travel brochure, its great, for entertainment; well we made through 11 minutes before we gave up. Even Jamie Bamber, a fine English actor, could not save it.

Disappointing - waste of potential

[colincoe · 3/10 · 3 July 2023]

The show had potential but suffers from a serious problem with the writing and acting. The dialog is wooden and doesn't ring true. The female lead detective isn't likeable or interesting. Rather than being irascible but somewhat charming she is just unpleasant. She is not a credible actor - or at least not in English. Often I could not understand her - shows like Death in Paradise have successfully integrated French speaking actors into the series by making sure they are understandable to an English speaking audience. Her female associate simply mumbles and is faced with trying to deliver cliche ridden lines. It is fortunate that we can't hear her most of the time.

I have only suffered through episode 1 - I am not sure that I can face Episode 2. The production values are excellent and of course the scenery is wonderful. It must have been expensive to film there. Too bad they didn't spend some of that money on writers and a decent co-star to match Jamie Bamber.

I wanted to like this one but...

[default- · 3/10 · 28 June 2023]

But (as you may have guessed), I didn't. Let me explain why.

This is classic detective-fun-glorious scenery-not to take seriously crime series. Main actors are very attractive and obviously the french scenery is very beautiful.

If it didn't take itself seriously and had a bit of comidic tone it might have worked better, for example the Mallorca Files are excellent series.

Here though, the main female protagonist is way too young to be a lieutenant, she is always overdressed for the occation (ie arriving at the crime scene with high heel boots like she is going to a party) and she is also mainly being pissed of about everything. Last but not least, she cannot act.

Bamber is ok, he seems charming , not over the top but the writers have him restrained in terms of his part as a counterweight to the Lucie Lucas importance to the series.

It might have been an entertaining series but the characters are dull, the crime story not interesting enough and the final product is more of a miss than a hit.

Hugely Disappointing

[jillherne · 2/10 · 28 July 2023]

The good: Scenery is beautiful & I like the Harry King actor. At least he can act. The potential for good story lines is there but it keeps missing the mark.

The bad: Pretty much everything else...the dialogue, writing, editing, acting (especially the female leads), the same backstory has been way overdone & the filming & lighting were dark. Colours seem really off to me in some indoor scenes. Not in an artistic way. Makes me wonder if it was filmed on a phone. The very worst is the sound track that sounds like it's from the '80's and completely drowns out the dialogue, which is hard to make out anyway with the French accents but impossible with the music. We had to watch with subtitles. The worst episode is the 1st one.

Jury still out

[331Sam · 7/10 · 29 June 2023]

The first episode follows a tried and true formula. Two opposites working on a long term case, while involved in smaller, week to week cases.

I wish the characters would look a bit more human. The Harry King character has a constant grin, as if he hears some jokes unknown to the viewers. The Camille character (Lucie Lucas) gives me the impression of a model acting in a hair shampoo commercial, and not a cop fighting crime.

I still can't figure out what's the general atmosphere in the series. Is it a serious flick or is it a light hearted buddy action series.

If the first season is already shot, I don't feel so good about the other episodes.

couldn't get by the first half of the show

[dklecan · 3/10 · 6 August 2023]

I am a murder mysteries addict. I have BritBox, I have MHZ, and Acorn. I watch German language detective shows in France, English detective stories anywhere in the world, but the accents were so bad that Cc was required. I could barely get through the first 10 minutes much less all the way through the show as the lighting and cinematography were terrible. At the first crime scene, The camera was literally on the floor looking up at the two detectives talking, why? The two detectives are clones of each other. Exotic ratty haired, puffy lipped 20 somethings women. And their outfits??? This is France for heaven sakes.... why are the detectives walking around with cheap blouses, super tight jeans and silver booties? At least it wasn't like 10 years ago when all the female detectives wore black pants, black jackets and a tank top with half their boobs sticking out. Now the focus seems to be the booty. In The first half hour there were several shots showing the detective walking away with the lens focused on her butt incased in the tightest jeans ever. I don't want to sound like a prude but it would be tolerable if there was anything going on. According to other reviewers nothing seems to improve in the next episodes....so I will stop here. BTW, many comparisons with Mallorca Murders...and except for similar european coastal towns, Mallorca is great. Especially after the first two episodes and the protagonist are comfortable with each other. I like that there is chemistry between the German and English detectives without it falling into a cliched romance.

Light Comedy and Detective series

[prashanth-17285 · 8/10 · 29 June 2023]

Nice tv series set in the beautiful city of Cannes, background music is very cool, good acting by both the cops and the detective. Story is pretty good and liked the banter between the cop and the detective.

Really liked the locations where the series has been shot. It is fun to watch a detective series with a little bit of comedy in between, definitely a must watch for those who are into light comedy and bit of sleuthing.

Story plot is unique and interesting not a serious one and each crime case is limited to each episode with both the protagonists personal story running across the episodes, do suggest for light comedy detective viewers.

1 star for Cannes

[reasonabledreams · 2/10 · 25 July 2023]

I was going to give it 1 star for casting, talent, writing, directing, who can direct a loser? 2 is only because it's banal & not mean spirited. And CANNES shines, gets it the 2nd star.

I am sure there are expats & many speak English as 2nd language, but it's still a French city. French love their Francais. So having Cannes police & every man on the street speaking English is just wierd. Yes I've seen German in France & Spain, speaking German as if the home language. And historic Russian, French, Italian, made by US or UK speak English. But this is just wierd & unsettling.

I kept losing interest. So I am not even sure about the 2 leads' acting, with bad dialog. JAMIE, I've liked in the past. Or, So I thought, but all he does is mug. Director, Writer's fault? After the scenery in the Murders in... series which shines, This is disappointing.

watching may be quite a waste of your time.

[aarong-34088 · 1/10 · 14 July 2023]

I found it simply awful.

Intermittently over loud soundtrack to ? Wake you?

Appalling diction with stereotypical accents.

I'd give it a zero if I could.

I now have to launch a diatribe in order to meet the "required characters" number.

Do not waste your time readiong further or watching the abomination.

I'm tempted to copy and paste some of the declaration to meet the absurd target.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends.

Should have read other reviews first

[frank-340-831830 · 1/10 · 10 July 2023]

How can decent actors not have the ability to act? Surely this then is a sign of poor writing or poor direction.

When I love a show I jump on IMDB and look for other work by the writers and creators and have regularly been rewarded with finding quality, but unknown shows and movies.

In this case I will be watching out for anything done by these guys and actively avoid.

Unfortunately this show will also reflect poorly on the actors.

I was suspicious of its quality by the tackiness of the description given to it.

The only people who should watch this are those who were extras and want to see themselves on screen.

Badly filmed using 2/3 of my screen

[pat_biehl · 3/10 · 9 November 2023]

I thought this would be a good show, but the way it was filmed annoyed me so much I couldn't keep watching. It's letterboxed to squeezing the top and bottom off and into using 2/3 of my screen. That might be ok for a movie, but this show keeps veering back and forth between talking heads which had the top and bottom of faces cut off. And longer 3/4 body shots were filmed looking oddly up at people as if the camera person were kneeling down.

The story was hard to follow and seemed to be more interested in weird camera shots than in storytelling. I didn't get past half of the first episode and I'm a real fan of murder mysteries.

Start over with a full resolution that fills our tv screens and tell the story without all the weird shots and hurried character interactions. This thing is a mess.

Takes Patience

[ronlda · 1/10 · 24 July 2023]

This series requires patience if you even make it through the first episode as it's totally infantile with all glitz, glamour and lots of mayhem but little substance and certainly nothing resembling acting. The second episode starts to slowly put some interest in the story but still much weaker than it should be. Finally, by episode three, the series starts to take on some meaningful elements that says it could be worth watching until the end. Normally I would have given up by now but my wife said to hang in there a bit more as she thought she sensed a bit more of an actual story. Hopefully the last three episodes warrant our endurance. The beautiful location and high fashion women certainly help to some degree but remember you have to talk with them afterwards.

This is just sad (spoilers)

[albalovescholo-59-661978 · 2/10 · 9 July 2023]

This is so far beyond disappointing, I want to cry. I want to cry for these female actors, and how poorly they are portrayed. The one called Camille is a pathetic little girl who gives her power and authority away to a facile, pretty boy. I am certain we are meant to see her as strong, but she keep demurring to him, and he is no one. He put his hand on her weapon, and she did not immediately cuff and arrest him. THAT IS INSANE. This is a terrible, terrible show. I will watch, because there is an ongoing writers' strike, and I am not bored enough to watch "and just like that." I would rather chew my own toenails.

Not original enough to be worth watching. Sadly, only 2 or 3 redeeming qualities.

[SceneByScene · 25 October 2023]

Mehhh. The style is hardly new. We've seen it a million times before. Two sassy people meet accidentally, in bad circumstances, immediately fall out, acerbic lines ensue. Then they realise they will be working together/running into each other all the time. And so a love/hate relationship is already set up. Will they, won't they?, is the topic of the next few episodes/series, I guess . . .

The problem is, it has the hallmarks of too many of the cross-boundary dramas I have seen recently. They have different nationalities playing against each other, set in one country. And they are often made by two or more contrasting nations (in this case Denmark & the UK). The different culture thing is not new to TV, over the past few years, but sadly in most circumstances it does not mesh well in a television drama. It just makes for confusing TV. I think the studios release these kinds of multi-nationality dramas, hoping lots of different cultures will also want to view it. As if all that matters is selling the drama to as many nations as possible.

Bring back TV that has a direct purpose. To entertain us. Plus, in the case of a police drama, to have us scope out 'whodunnit' along with a realistic lead detective character in front of us on the TV screen. At least that way we are using our brains to solve the puzzle. Engaging TV. That's the way it should still be made.

Instead we have something very much like 'The Mallorca Files', yet again. But this time with the Brit in the male role & as the renegade, while the European takes on the female role & that of the state detective who is oh so confined by the cop rulebook.

'Midsomer Murders' has done lightweight cop drama for years. And (a few episodes aside!), largely to great avail. It is what it is and no more. It does not have pretensions to being anything other than good fun. And I love the French series 'Candace Renoir' and 'Balthazar'. They both work extremely well too. Great crime stories, with likeable characters and interplay. All these cop series have the pitch in the right area. They all mesh perfectly. But this UK-&-Danish series set in Cannes does not . . .

The characters mainly feel unreal, as if the production team had to play it safe. Which they probably did. It looks like they nearly duplicated characters - and lines - from other shows. And with little original angle added . . . Why, oh why, just repeat things?!

Oh, and parts of the storylines are so improbable they are incredible! DO tell me how a clever baddie managed to leave evidence of their ill-doing in an unlocked van?! And in part of the art gallery property that was strangely left accessible to all attendees at the gallery event?! Was the baddie a child?! (P. S. no offence intended to children, here!) No! Daft?! . . . I think idiocy would be a more appropriate description for what that was!

There is not enough in-depth characterisation of the lead protagonists, and absolutely no enticing plots to the crime part of the episodes. In other words, little to actually care about or believe in.

Even the backplots as to why 'King' lost contact with his daughter - and why the cop father of 'Delmasse' is in trouble - don't really appeal to me as much as they should. Because I don't like the empty crime part to the TV series. I do not like being led to believe that I am investing in a crime drama, when I am investing in nothing close to the genre. What I am viewing is instead vapid nonsense.

The series is just a waste of some beautiful locations. And if I had WANTED to watch an armchair travel series I'd have hunted out a travelogue TV programme, not this dirge of non-drama.

I can almost see the subtitles that will be plastered on the screen if the studio sell this series to 1001 other countries. Oh dear . . . Why bother, with a script that is largely as uninspiring as this?!

We've recently had 'The Madame Blanc Mysteries' fed to us on UK TV. Again, much the same flaws prevailed with that programme as with this. And then 'Murder in Provence', followed by 'Signora Volpe', were dumped on the viewers. Some excellent actors are the key players in those dramas. And the performers - in all these series that are set on the European continent - do their best, but, with material to work with that at times is hackneyed hash, little can be done.

Yawn. Let's get original, TV executives.

We are about to stop watching some of the other cross-boundary dramas. Sadly, they are just too much work to comprehend the style of output, and this effort is not worth the payoff. Give us a good crime plot to make an episode worth our time, and we might just try watching another one or two. Maybe . . .

As for this series alone:-

(1) The whole series needs to be reenergised, and given a different framework: less predictable safety, and more clever storylines. A more dynamic style would give it the lift it badly needs.

(2) A less Peter-and-Jane level of dialogue is badly needed. English is a complex language and has lots of nuances. The tone of delivery is often lost in the script in this drama, particularly when lines are spoken by actors who aren't native English-speakers. Some of these are the lead players, and they seem truly out of their comfort zone with the English language dialogue. The drama needs subtlety brought into the script, so that we can fully understand what the characters are really saying and feeling. Again, in this flaw I do not blame one team (in this case, the scriptwriters): they are after all just one party, and are writing what their bosses at the TV studio tell them to, and in the style they are told to.

There are, thankfully, a handful of redeeming factors to this series:-

(a) At least in this drama the two leads are not BOTH cops, PI's, or just hobby-investigators. So some original conflict is brought in to the plot. And we are left to puzzle out the intriguing question of just who 'Harry King' really is . . .

(b) And Jamie Bamber is bang-on in his role, as the slightly suspect but playful English gentleman-about-town, who seems to know a lot of people in all the right places. Delightful characterisation.

(c) The best thing overall is the occasional excellent script line - of barbed but humorous repartee. For example in the first episode - "Death of a Jester" - in a scene at a modern art gallery, while the 2 leads are viewing the art pieces: 'Harry King' says to 'Lieutenant Delmasse', when she bluntly shows him 'the finger' to indicate he should get lost: "Ah, the digitus impudicus . . . Beautiful!" Wit, at last.

A few positive features, then, in the characterisation and storyline. And it is badly needed, to make the series stand on its own merits in any real way.

But it is not enough to keep me watching. After lasting through episode three I shall be sad-but-glad to be hanging up my spurs on this drama, mid-series.

One of the best TV programmes that had the 'will they, won't they?' romance premise was made a long time ago: 'Remington Steele', back in the '80s. It was warm, witty, likeable, playful, and - though a lightweight series re the detective issue - had some fine storylines across the episodes. And the flirting was believable. It lasted 94 episodes - over 5 series. That tells you everything about the success of the programme!

My best advice? Go seek out Pierce Brosnan as 'Remington Steele', and you'll find a better alternative viewing: a superb & fun series well worth the watch.

Not very good

[blanche-2 · 5/10 · 2 December 2023]

Alas, Cannes Confidential, besides its beautiful scenery, is a bust.

The women were cast too young and with ridiculous outfits.

The plot involving the father is confusing and doesn't seem necessary.

I only watched this show because of Jamie Bamber. This is so beneath him. First of all, for me to keep watching, he'd have to be in every scene and of course he isn't- he undoubtedly spends most of his time trying to line up another job or changing agents.

He's gorgeous, so with him and the scenery, it's not a total write-off.

I say cast some believable police detectives and feature Jamie in another series.

Great fun. Like Mallorca files, and child friendly

[bettsontour-52757 · 8/10 · 3 August 2023]

I like this series. It's easy going, a bit like Mallorca Files, or Death in Paradise, Castle, Midsomer Murders.

It's not high quality like Justified, or intense like line of duty, or ridiculous like Shakespeare and Hathaway.

Someone complains about the acting, well you try learning lines and delivering in a foreign accent!

There no rude language like Harry Wild or excessive violence or fights, or gun battles like so many others. Even the Rookie could be excessive.

It's a family friendly lightweight police "drama".

You WILL need subtitles as with all French actors speaking in English for our benefit it can be a bit muffled.

problematic cop show

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 7 May 2024]

Camille Delmasse (Lucie Lucas) is an impetuous police detective in Cannes, France. Her father and former police chief has been arrested for corruption. Léa Robert (Shy'm) is her police partner. She runs into con-man Harry King (Jamie Bamber) who has plenty of aliases and contacts. She squeezes him for information on her father's case while he helps her in solving her cases.

This is trying to be a bit of sexy and edgy and funny in the south of France. It tries but there are so many problems. First, it's the two female cops. They are too similar. Both have the looks of hot former model brunettes and both have the same personalities. I would give them some separation. The easiest way is probably switching Lucas and Bamber. He has done police detective before and he's good at it. Lucas is the sexy dark mysterious exotic type and she could be a good con-woman. On top of that, she's written badly. I couldn't see how she could keep her job after the pilot. I also don't understand why Harry King is helping her with her cases. I guess that he has the hots for her, but she is nowhere near reciprocating. Their chemistry is odd and the show adds a love triangle. It's all a bit much. There is only so much sunshine and beach and fancy people before it all gets tiresome. After that six-episode first season, I don't see how this show can continue.

Jamie Is Awesome, But The Lead Actress Is Not

[jackieandtodd · 5/10 · 5 January 2024]

I don't know who cast the lead actress, but it was a poor choice. Her acting wasn't so good and I saw no chemistry, plus her character was mean, no personality. Chemistry was bad. Jamie's character is great though. He kinda reminded of Tom Ellis's character in Lucifer charm and sense of humor.

If it comes back for another season, I wish they recast the actress. Her acting skills are poor, and there is no chemistry. I felt bad for Jamie. His is a great actor. I've been fan of his from way back from the Horatio Hornblower movies. This series can have potential with recasting the female lead and new writers.

Descent Plot Lines & Acting-Entertaining

[vsroth · 9/10 · 18 September 2023]

I watched the whole season before submitting a critique. I liked it. The show got its right footing by episode 5. The chemistry between Cam & Harry began to heat up. I thought the handling of the murder case exploring LGBTQi+ social constructs was realistic, sensitive & clever. Ep 6 left me wanting more laying out the conspiracy route for Cam's father, and the reconciliation under mysterious circumstances for Harry & his daughter. I hope there is a Season 2 with more episodes & exploration of the Cannes background & environment. The continued exploration of a reality undercurrent of LGBTQi+ culture & community, especially through the eyes of professionals, is sorely needed.