Directed by:
Patrice LeconteCinematography:
Yves AngeloComposer:
Bruno CoulaisCast:
Gérard Depardieu, Jade Labeste, Mélanie Bernier, Aurore Clément, Hervé Pierre, Élisabeth Bourgine, Clara Antoons, Pierre Moure, Bertrand Poncet, Anne Loiret (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Paris, 1953. The body of a beautiful young woman is discovered at Place Ventimille, dressed in an elegant evening gown. There is nothing to identify her, and no witnesses. Pensive and world-weary Inspector Jules Maigret (Gérard Depardieu) endeavours to piece together her story, and in doing so uncovers details about her past and character. In his enquiries, he encounters Betty (Jade Labeste), a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to the victim, but who also reminds him of one even closer to his own life. Simenon (and Leconte’s) formidable protagonist - a French counterpart to Agatha Christie’s Poirot and P.D. James’ Dalgliesh - has been brought to the screen before, but Depardieu leaves an indelible stamp on the character, bringing tenderness and dignity to a man prepared to listen before he speaks, and to stand up for those without a voice. (Palace Films)
(more)Reviews (2)
I wouldn’t call this film a total disaster. Honestly, I was expecting Gérard Depardieu to be a mess, especially given all the uncertainty around him in recent years, but he actually looked pretty good and handled Maigret with dignity. That said, the movie itself was pretty average, nothing special on the cinematic front.
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“I don’t eat when I drink...” So this Maigret must be permanently dehydrated. Looking at the poster, the film seems to reflect that as well. The breathless inspector meanders through dark corners, only his hat and phallic-shaped nose peeking out from the shadows. His investigation, if it can be called that, is as appealing to me as scrubbing the cobblestones on the Quay of Goldsmiths with a toothbrush. Perhaps I was looking wrong, but I noticed what looked like remnants of Vladimir Putin’s excrement on Gérard Depardieu's ear—the kind that hasn’t yet made it into the briefcase.
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