Caïd

I found "Dealer" pretty interesting as cinematographic experiment. Story is rather simple - a duo of cameramen join a gangster to shoot few days of his life in the hood for a rap video. Of course, they get more than they bargained for and things will go wrong.

The episodes are surprisingly short, might be a social experiment also - with short attention span that online videos have formed in modern audience.

The story isn't very interesting nor complex, but paranoia surrounding criminal underworld and fast pace make it sort of fascinating to watch. Action scenes - thanks to "found footage" method, resemble more of a video game than action show.

While generally quite average show, I do not regret my time watching this. Especially since that time was pleasingly short, yet nicely action-packed. Other shows waste a ton of your time before you'll even figure out if you like them. Not here.

Adapted from a film by the same name and turned into a "found footage" style episodic gangster caper Caïd can have a wonderfully kinetic energy to it but often lapses into tropes and rather artificial contrivances. A lot of the time when characters angrily bark "why are you filming this?" you have to agree. The short 10 minute blasts of it can work for and against it as well, and it seems a shame they didn't play with the running times a bit more as the endings can feel abrupt.

It's not all bad though - it's nice to get a glimpse of a fairly underrepresented part of France and I felt for both Franck and Tony, trapped in their violent predicaments by different forces. So yes - not a revelation but certainly interesting and the first French series I've seen the entire way through.

Usually I like this kind of series from urban ghetos ... I was impatiently waiting for this one. But... No, sorry, even if the pitch is not bad, but really simple, the series fall into too stereotypical "clichés". Above all, we hear insults (btw always the same : Son of... and Shut up...) literally every 30 seconds, that's quickly becomes very very very annoying... 5/10 for the effort.

The acting can be off from time to time. But the camera work is great i really liked the story as well. I think the fact there is no overacting or expression of emotions, actually ads to the story. The 1 star ratings are clearly from people who never experienced banlieue life and its inhabitants.

Just one thing : love it ... a lil bit exag. But love it.