Fans of True Crime may already know the story, especially those who have watched Sophie: A Murder in West Cork on Netflix, but True Crime addicts like me are happy to see another version of the same case.
Director Jim Sheridan, himself an Irishman from near Cork, and the man who made My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father, among other lauded films, has taken on the case of the 1996 unspeakably brutal murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who was alone at her vacation home in Ireland, while her husband and son remained in France.
Presented in 5 episodes, each less than an hour, Sheridan narrates and investigates and looks for stones that may not have been turned over in the ensuing 25 years. What he does best is get “locals” to tell the story with, perhaps, more candor, or at least more energy, than they may have done with an “outsider” filmmaker.
I do not want to describe the story in details, for those who haven’t heard of it, but I will say that an early suspect, Ian Bailey, is so narcissistic that he makes a perfect film subject: loquacious, always “on” and always aware of the camera. There is no film without his presence.
Sheridan’s project also includes never-before-seen footage, which may be a good reason to revisit the case, all on its own.
The series is currently streaming on Topic, a platform I highly recommend. The content is mostly non-American productions – it’s only like 5 bucks a month and worth every penny.
