Frank Riva

Alain Delon is "Frank Riva" in this 2003-2004 six-episode series.

Riva has been in exile for 25 years and now returns to Paris at the behest of the Paris police commissioner and friend, Xavier Unger (Jacques Perrin) after Riva's brother, a police officer, is killed. In the past, Riva went undercover to investigate a mobster, Norbert Loggia, during the French Connection. A contract was put out on him, so Riva's death was faked, and he disappeared.

Now he's back, and not planning on staying long. But life intervenes - a daughter (Mélanie Maudran) he never knew about, and her own involvement with Maxime Loggia, Norbert's son, which results in further complications. Riva himself faces the woman he left behind, Catherine (Mireille Darc) and enters into an affair with the police superintendent (Sophie von Kessel).

Undoubtedly this role was created for the then 68-year-old Delon, still remarkably handsome, giving a wonderful performance as a man who still mourns the death of the woman he loved and who reluctantly returns to his old life, sadder and wiser.

The supporting ensemble is excellent -- the young officers, played by Cedric Chevalme and Francois Vincentelli, Perrin, Delon's ex- companion Darc, von Kessel, and the stunning Maudran are all believable and vibrant contributors to the series.

I recently read of review of a play Delon did with his daughter Anouchka - the play had been written by a friend of Delon's specifically for her. The first paragraph of the review talked about the young Delon's fine acting and presence - and the entire rest of a long review was about her father. In the end, that's where the focus is, on Delon, the center of a wheel that everyone else circles. With his incredible magnetism, it couldn't be any other way.