Maigret's Dead Man (2016)

Maigret plunges into the murky Parisian underworld.

Director:

Jon East

Writers:

Stewart Harcourt (screenplay), Georges Simenon (novel)

Stars:

Ian Puleston-Davies, Dorottya Hais, Mark Hadfield

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian Puleston-Davies	...	Inspector Colombani
Dorottya Hais	...	Nicole (as Dorrottya Hais)
Mark Hadfield	...	Albert Rochain
Iván Fenyö	...	Pietr
Dénes Bernáth	...	Victor Poliensky
Grant Stimpson	...	Barman
Karen Gagnon	...	Police Telephonist
Rowan Atkinson	...	Chief Inspector Jules Maigret
Shaun Dingwall	...	Inspector Janvier
Leo Staar	...	Inspector LaPointe
Peter Schueller	...	Reveller
Mark Heap	...	Dr. Moers
Hugh Simon	...	Dr. Paul
Matt Devere	...	Detective
Russell Dean	...	Post Office Clerk (as Russel Dean)

Storyline

A series of vicious, murderous attacks on three wealthy farms in Picardy hit the national headlines and the elite Brigade Criminelle at the Quay Des Orfevres is called upon to lend its expertise in tracking down the brutal gang responsible for the slaughter. However, Inspector Maigret is resolute in investigating the murder of an obscure anonymous Parisian, an investigation that ultimately solves both crimes.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

Czech English

Release Date:

25 December 2016 (UK)

Also Known As:

Maigret's Dead Man

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fragile Films, Pioneer Stillking Films, Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

To re-create 1950s Paris, the drama was mostly filmed in Budapest, Hungary.

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Goofs

Goderville is not in Picardie, it is in Normandy.

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Quotes

[to the man who murdered Albert Rochain and who has just described him as "a little man - a nobody"]
Chief Inspector Jules Maigret: I want you to know that his name was Albert Rochain and that he had a wife and that they were trying to start a family. And for all his little bets and his little winnings, his life was more successful than yours, because *he* didn't end up like an animal in a cage, despised by everyone, with nothing to look forward except his execution.

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Crazy Credits

In the final credits the character played by Matt Devere is listed as "Detetctive"

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Connections

Version of Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret: Maigret et son mort (1970)

User Reviews

A masterclass on how TV drama should be made.

A masterclass on how TV drama should be made.

Every camera angle is a painting and not a second is wasted.

(Take note, BBC... there is no need to insert noisy music, misplaced minorities and left wing ideology to make first class drama.)

This time, the second outing of the latest re-boot, Maigret (Rowan Atkinson) almost takes a back seat to the events and characters that surround him. It's a low-energy drama that sees a heavy emphasis on characters and almost none on action.

Also, there isn't much of a story to sink yourself into and unlike the Foyle mysteries, there doesn't seem to be that slow crescendo of suspense that leads to a final act.

This style of drama probably won't appeal much to many people under thirty years old!

But for me, this was a treat... the meticulous yet understated set details (the cars were old and dirty, NOT showroom new and shiny clean!), the disarming harmony between Maigret and Mrs Maigret, the music (which mostly stayed in the background where it should be)... it was British TV drama at it's finest.

I hope that the team that went into this production stay together long enough to churn out a few more just like it. Merry Christmas, me!