Having watched
Maigret last night with Rowan Atkinson in the starring role I have
seen various comments on the production so I thought I would write a
review. Bear in mind I am not a professional critic, and the below
are just my opinions. There again a professional critic only gives
their opinion so..
Atmosphere: The
locations/sets I felt did give a good atmosphere of post WWII France.
We know it's post-war as Maigret says that Paris has seen enough
Gestapo tactics not to want anymore. I am not expert in
fashion but the clothing seemed to me appropriate to the era.
Acting: I will come
back to this later in the review but overall I felt the acting of all
parties was of a good if not outstanding quality. One black mark I
personally feel, although opinions vary, is in the total absence of
accents. While noting as above that the physical atmosphere was
achieved I felt drama had taken a huge step backwards to the 1930s
when everyone spoke in an English accent regardless of their
character's nationality. The only nods to the location not being in
Britain were the place and character names. Even Maigret was referred
to on occasion as 'Mister' and not 'M'sieur'.
Maigret himself has
been described as a grey character without much to him, and I think
this comes to the crux of the issue. I personally disagree with this
characterisation as he shows his character not in the more overt
manner of modern detectives but in his single-minded pursuit of the
villain. We see he is not an automaton through his reaction to the
widower of the latest victim and his young family. Maigret to be sure
cares deeply about what he does. For him the victims are not just
names, as they are for his masters. they are people with real lives,
and they are those left behind when loved ones are killed.
So why the
approbation to the drama? In my opinion we have been spoilt as a
viewing audience. Modern murder mysteries have convoluted plots with
the guilty party only exposed in the last five minutes of the hour or
two hour investigation. The investigators be they police or private
plough their way unerringly through a pile of false flags arresting
and releasing suspects until they eventually get the right person. We
have been spoilt by the deducting gymnastics of Holmes, Poirot and
their ilk, the sudden 'lightbulb' moments out of the blue accorded to
Barnaby, Lewis etc. The closest we have come to normality is in
Brenda Blethyn's portrayal of Vera.
Then we have Maigret.
Here we are presented with a normal policeman charged with the
capture of a serial killer. A killer who thus far has killed five
times in six months and left no clue. Maigret is a man with the
weight of the world bearing down heavily on his shoulders. His
immediate superior keeps demanding results. His political master
keeps demanding results – in actuality more interested in the
damage to his reputation than the victims. Both threatening to
replace Maigret if he doesn't produce results. The constant hounding
by the press demanding results. To his credit refusing to be bullied
into an arrest – as we have seen many times in reality – of the
wrong man. He is persistent to the point of relentlessness – if he
asks a question he will keep asking it over and over wearing the
suspect down until it is answered. After a masterstroke Maigret is
gifted with what he craves. A rough description of the suspect and a
physical clue. He proceeds to follow where the clue leads him, now
unlike previously aimlessly searching he becomes a bloodhound
following a scent. When he finds his quarry up a metaphorical tree he
doesn't give up, but keeps barking until the quarry comes to ground
and is captured.
Maigret is not a
Poirot, Holmes, Lewis or Barnaby, nor even a Vera. He is Maigret and
deserves to be treated as such.
