Courtesy of Netflix
Arséne Lupin, Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc inspired Netflix’s latest original series, Lupin. A man of multiple disguises and endless talent, Assane Diop (Omar Sy) patterns his life after the gentleman burglar protagonist of Leblanc’s book series. Always three steps ahead of authorities and everyone else, Diop is a man on a mission.
After losing his father to suicide at the tender age of 14, Assane discovers the setup that brought his father down. As chauffeur to the powerful Hubert Pellegrini, Assane’s father Babakar was accused of stealing the Queen’s Necklace-a piece of jewelry purported to have once belonged to Marie Antoinette. Knowing his father was a pawn in Pellegrini’s duplicitous actions, Assane uses the Arséne Lupin, Gentleman Burglar books to plan his takedown.
Courtesy of Netflix
At times, Lupin feels like a mashup of The Thomas Crown Affair and Ocean’s Eleven. Lead Omar Sy is electric onscreen and commands the viewers’ attention. Where Lupin falls a bit flat is with the supporting cast. Less than memorable performances combined with over-the-top bombast from multiple players leave viewers wanting the camera on Sy and Sy alone.
With a short five episodes, Lupin is worth a watch for the myriad of disguises and shenanigans Assane Diop gets into. It’s recommended that viewers watch it in the original French as the English dubbed version is quite off and distracting.
Binge Lupin on Netflix.
Courtesy of Netflix
