A friend or a critic recommended “Torn” so it was on my ‘to watch’ list, but Glen and I couldn’t find it in our streaming services. Through Prime we signed up for a 30 day free trial of PBS Masterpiece; “Torn” is in this library of shows and movies.
TORN (Soupçons) ♦♦♦♦½
The six-episode French drama starts off somewhat like a Hallmark movie, with a foundation of thwarted adolescent love that’s rekindled 20 years later. Beautiful to watch, the show features the verdant landscape of Provence, pleasing architecture, arresting interiors — bold blue walls, bright yellow chairs, deep red accents — and a remarkably attractive cast, superb actors all, notably one of the leads, Bruno Debrandt (Florent), recognizable as Brémont in a favourite French series “Spiral.”
The title could refer to the lovers, Victoire and Florent, being torn in their decision to be unfaithful to their respective spouses. But the translation of soupçons as ‘suspicions’ better suits the story. The clandestine romance causes unexpected twists; the plot thickens — Florent’s wife Marion disappears — then thickens again. Our minds go to work in solving the mystery. Florent is the prime suspect, and the narrative advances in trying to prove him the guilty culprit. But along the way Victoire’s husband, the police chief investigating the case, behaves suspiciously. So does a former lover of Marion’s, and her father. Plus others. Our suspicions multiply.
“Torn” balances elements of the romance and thriller genres, with shades of film noir in the mix. The primary focus of the show is not the crime; it’s the collateral effects of the affair on the villagers, including the two lovers’ children (thankfully, not of the improbably precocious variety who can be annoying distractions in some shows). No more spoilers. We enjoyed our stopover in southeastern France. In fact my viewing partner awards it a high rating of ♦♦♦♦.
P.S. Now we’re visiting Cornwall in a late 18th century drama, “Poldark”, also on PBS Masterpiece. This subscription is proving beneficial, while not adding a new expense to our entertainment budget!
Ken McLean says
Thanks for this suggestion, Pam. Weirdly, “Torn” does not appear on the PBS Masterpiece Streaming site online so must only be revealed if you actually sign up. We are currently watching the PBS show “Atlantic Crossing”(via the old fashioned PVR method). It raises interesting historicity questions, which we will check on after finishing the 8 episodes.
Pam McPhail says
We noticed the option of “Atlantic Crossing” so will watch it later if you and other friends give it thumbs up. “Poldark” (the name of the family whose saga we follow) continues to take up our evenings. It may air on Acorn as well.
Patricia Young says
Great suggestion, Pam. Like Ken, we also rely on our PVR and have raised our eyebrows at the sometimes questionable historical accuracy of Atlantic Crossing. And, also like Ken, we are waiting until we have finished watching the series to see whether some things have been slanted somewhat to make things more interesting for a particular audience.
Meanwhile, we can all hope that your excellent suggestion, Torn, will one day be made available on PBS – or BC’s own Knowkedge Network.
Pat
Pam McPhail says
Pat, I await your final verdict before we choose to turn on, or not, Atlantic Crossing — though another friend has since highly recommended it, even with historical license.
Ian says
Pam, you have missed your calling. You should take up employment as a TV/movie critic.
Alas, I cannot say anything about ‘Torn’, having not seen a single episode.
As for ‘Atlantic Crossing’, it got off to a terrific start but then bogged down rapidly. Is this really what happened in 1940, we asked ourselves a few times before giving up halfway through the series in favour of live tennis action from Paris.
A suggestion: why not provide your readers with your recommendation for a good streaming service, one only? I am sure this would be greatly appreciated by many!
Pam McPhail says
Ha, ha! In my fantasy life I might have succeeded as a critic but not in this real one. Thanks for the compliment though, Ian. On balance Netflix probably continues to offer the best variety in programming, especially given its huge budget for international productions, both originals (The Crown, House of Cards, Narcos) and ones bought from their country of origin (Babylon Berlin). Maybe other readers agree?
Ken McLean says
I enjoyed Atlantic Crossing , but do agree that the first two episodes are the best. Sofia Helin, the Swedish actress who plays the lead, is very good. We did start to wonder about historical accuracy and found, when checking after we had finished watching it , that it departed from history in many particulars.
Pam McPhail says
Ken, Because you mention Sofia Helin, the marvellous actress in the much lauded Swedish/Danish series The Bridge, we’ll watch Atlantic Crossing! Lynne loved it.