She wears an elegant evening dress, is young, pretty - and dead. The body of a woman is found in a square in Montmartre. She has no papers with her, nor anything else that could identify her. No one seems to know or miss her.
The unknown dead is a mystery. Inspector Maigret (Gérard Depardieu) takes on the mysterious case. Initial investigations lead to the Parisian artists' district.
Renaissance of a classic
With "Maigret", French director Patrice Leconte revives the legendary inspector from the well-known crime novels by Belgian writer Georges Simenon. He appears in over 70 novels.
For his film adaptation, Leconte was inspired by Simenon's "Maigret and the Young Dead". In it, the commissioner not only reconstructs the last hours of the dead piece by piece. Memories of a case awaken that never let go of him.
"Maigret" is a film with sober tones, almost austere. It takes us to the Paris of the 1950s, seen in numerous films, this Paris of backyards, chattering caretakers and streets that still bear the marks of the Second World War, and which Leconte recreates with constant elegance.
Both the sets and costumes are lavish, and the touches of poetry that pervade the imagery give the film the form of a classic. The music of Bruno Coulais completes the atmosphere.
Depardieu acts very human
The Leconte drama is the first Maigret film adaptation for decades. Great actors such as Heinz Rühmann, Jean Richard, Bruno Crémer and Jean Gabin have embodied the legendary commissioner. Now Depardieu has found one of his best roles in the imposing figure.
Bowler hat, coat and pipe: Depardieu seems to have been born Maigret: no useless facial expressions, a game full of sobriety and empathy. Because unlike his colleagues, Maigret doesn't solve his cases with investigative methods, but with empathy. The ability to understand the other and their feelings makes him a fabulous tracker. There is real humanity in Maigret - and Depardieu conveys it brilliantly.
When Maigret drags himself up the stairs to the sixth floor, panting heavily, it's not just because of his weight. A tiredness weighs on him, a feeling of exhaustion, having already seen and given everything. This film is as much a portrait of Maigret as it is of Depardieu.
