Almost 50 years after his last appearance at the cinema, the famous inspector “Jules Maigret” returns in the guise of the incredible Gérard Depardieu. Taken from the adaptation “Maigret and the Young Dead” written in 1954, the atmosphere and the investigation are very well recreated and effective.
Following an anonymous call, the police go to a park in the heart of Paris because a dead woman has been discovered. Contacted to carry out this investigation, Superintendent Maigret quickly noticed that she looked a lot like a cabaret dancer in her attire. However, he has some suspicions about the profession of the deceased. However, it remains anonymous as no identity papers and personal belongings were found at his side. Moreover, and despite the commissioner’s research, no one really seems to remember her. Subsequently and by chance, Maigret met a young woman in a café who strangely resembled the woman found in the park. Seeing her, other personal and painful memories resurface. Will he be able to detect the reasons for this despicable act and have the necessary perspective? Nothing is less sure…
In 2021, the famous “Commissaire Maigret” created by Georges Simenon turned 90. If his character died voluntarily in 1972 and the writer in 1989, his adaptations never ceased and will probably never cease to be exposed and transposed.
This version with the great Gérard Depardieu (“ Retirement home “) headlining and Patrice Leconte (” An hour of tranquility “) behind the cameras, mark on the one hand the 1time collaboration between the 2 men, but and as mentioned above, the investigator returns to the cinema.
Previously and for many French-speaking generations, “Le Commissaire Maigret” was represented by 2 actors who played him on the small screen. Either Jean Richard from 1967 to 1990 (“The oldest profession in the world”) then Bruno Cremer (“Is Paris burning?”) from 1991 to 2005. If each time the audience was there, the moods and interpretations varied somewhat. The same is true with the recent movie version.
Indeed, Patrice Leconte who also scripted this fiction accompanied by Jérôme Tonnerre (“ Skip school “), will prefer an adaptation closer to the character created by the writer. Thus, the sets, clothing and dialogues were adjusted in order to further immerse the spectators in the 1950s, the period in which the story took place.
Moreover, this reconstitution proves successful in particular thanks to its rather well reproduced environment. If it has not been recreated in great detail, like many motor vehicles proliferating during the said decade within the French capital, the intention to travel to 1954 works effectively.
Because the 2 screenwriters didn’t want to create a general overabundance in order to keep a clean film and give those curious to discover “Maigret” the possibility of concentrating more on the characters. However, a slight script modernity was added in relation to the personal side of the hero of the fiction, more precisely about his health.
In terms of distribution, Gérard Depardieu takes on his role wonderfully. Without discrimination, he makes “Maigret” more colossal, deliberately adds a touch of humanity to it which was perhaps a little too light in previous interpretations. An aspect also accentuated through this adaptation because the public will be able to discover more about the private life of the character.
The rest of the cast, mostly female, is also doing well, even if they are less known to the general public. Following the example of Mélanie Bernier (” All up there ”) who played a deeper, ambivalent and sinister character than he appears.
Aimed at viewers who appreciate Georges Simenon and his novels, intense police investigations devoid of action scenes or even the rather hazy Parisian atmosphere of the 1950s, this new opus on “Maigret” will make it more moving than previously.
Finally, these elements will be perceived relatively quickly and will make it possible to better benefit from the feature film and from what emerges from it.
Maigret
FR – 2021
Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes
Crime, Drama
Director: Patrice Leconte
Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Mélanie Bernier, Jade Labeste, Aurore Clément, Hervé Pierre, Pierre Moure
Pathé Films AG
23.02.2022 at the cinema