I believe tonight is the formal drop for the sixth and last episode of Monsieur Spade, which reminds me I have further ongoing commentary on hand by Terry Zobeck to nudge out onto The Mean Streets. I don’t believe there’s any cause for cliffhanger excitement.
If Terry squeaks more in so it is “live,” or if shows up a few days after the fact, all good enough.
For the third episode Terry finds that “I’m beginning to enjoy this series — not so much as a Spade story (actually, not at all) — but as an engaging thriller/mystery.” Halfway through and he kind of likes it.
Here’s Terry:
With this episode, the story is beginning to pull me in. I’ve followed my own advice and ignored the conceit that this is an authentic Sam Spade tale. Standing on its own as an engaging mystery, it works well.
The opening scene, a flashback to 1955 shortly after Spade’s arrival in Bozouls, has some of the snappiest tough-guy dialogue so far in the series. Spade has been hired by the widow Gabrielle (soon to be his wife) to persuade Phillipe — Teresa’s alleged father — to leave town.
At one point, Phillipe asks where he would go. “I hear Norway needs more assholes,” replies Sam.
This dialog is fine, but Clive Owen delivers the lines with none of the style or steel of Bogart, the model that Owen has admitted was his inspiration. Think of Rick sparring with Major Strasser.
Owen delivers them in the same unmodulated monotone with which he orders breakfast.
In this third outing, the filmmakers toss in a few attempts to remind viewers that this character is supposed to be the Spade of The Maltese Falcon. In a flashback with Gabrielle and Spade sitting poolside, we come in as Spade finishes telling her the Flitcraft parable.
I guess Sam tells all his girlfriends the story.
This time he explains its meaning — it’s possible he’ll leave her one day.
Later, Teresa wants to know where the money came from in the trust fund that her mother left her. Sam tells her that “she had nose for antiques.” They also have a sharp exchange where it is clear that Teresa is an apple that didn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to telling Sam the truth.
And, perhaps most importantly, we learn there is a MacGuffin, in the form of a young Algerian boy, wanted by an international cast of character actors.
More duplicity lies ahead for Sam before the case is solved.
