Maigret Sets a Trap

Maigret Sets A Trap

OK, let's address the reason you're reading this first: Did Rowan Atkinson rise above it all?

Yes, he did - and in the process he completely divorced us from anything he had ever done in the past. It's possible that this worked well because he's an older man now and looks the part - it's more likely that he was simply masterful in making a dull and outwardly dispassionate character so captivating.

The story itself is ludicrously simple... Maigret sets a trap! After five murders, Maigret is under pressure from all sides of Parisian society to capture a killer.

At a dinner party he is inspired into creating a trap following a conversation he has with a criminal psychologist. The gamble pays off of course and at the end, a solemn, stoic Maigret walks off into the distance with a private wry smile on his face - a job well done.

This is a drama... not an action movie. The cops have guns but no guns are drawn and not a single shot is fired. It will probably be agonizingly dull for young people.

The scenery, photography, costumes, props and direction were beautiful and the movie was 100% traditional 'Noir' in every popular sense of the film world. The shadows and lighting, cars, streets, the brown... (lots of brown!), even the smoking and the hats... all Film Noir!

The horrible 'incidental' music almost destroyed this production. There was no need for it at all, but there it was, loudly guiding us through each scene, each emotion and every minor turn of events. Hopefully the DVD version will have the option to play the movie WITHOUT this distracting, interfering and extremely noisy mess.

Kill the music and you have the perfect TV movie.

Well worth the wait and bravo, Rowan for leaving it all behind and being our new favorite cop... well, second favorite after Inspector Foyle? Time will tell.

I will highly rate this film for several reasons.

First, this is George Simenon, a 1st class writer. Second : Rowan Atkinson understood the role, the character and the script.

This is a Filme Noire at it's best. The fact that it involves murder is of little consequence, this is about character portrayal, this is a look into the reasoning and understanding of the personas of people and their solitudes, their anguishes, their souls, their darker depths..

In my personal opinion Rowan Atkinson nailed Maigret in a contemporary format. He was subtle and did not overplay. My image of Rowan has completely changed, this man can act, he feels, sees and behaves his role.....

But the film was not just Rowan Atkinson, it was an entire cast, it was a Mise En Scene as it should be... This is exemplary of what can still be done today outside of the glamour of Hollywood..

Living in France I have obviously seen the Maigret films and episodes and this film in no way undermines not fails the originals...

Well done to the screen writer, director and cast for producing a down to earth and deeper portrayal of what has become customary, well done for taking a step aside and giving us something to watch that goes beyond the superficial...

Although this will never become a classic, it is definitely worth adding to any repertoire...

I have never heard about Maigret before, so i must admit my reason for watching was Rowan Atkinson. After watching a few minutes, i came to the realization, that this would not be entertaining in the same way that i have gotten to know Mr Atkinson. Putting that aside, i was able to start enjoying the story and the twists. The story was actually a bit "out of the box" and believable characters. It was one of the better police/detective stories i have seen in years, albeit not being my genre. If you would like to turn off your Facebook, chats and all else, this will be an entertaining little show(?) to watch. Its not too long, neither too short.. and overall good quality in all aspects. Enjoy.

"How would you like a fantastic opportunity to get out of your comfort zone as an actor?" Of course I wasn't there, but this easily might have been what Rowan Atkinson's agent said to him when the role of Inspector Maigret presented itself. Atkinson is immortal thanks to his famous comedy/slapstick roles (like "Blackadder", "Johnny English" and especially "Mr. Bean") so it's quite an impressive and risky undertaking to take up the role of a dead- serious, stoic and intelligent French police detective. Perhaps it's because I personally don't have any issues with separating actors/actresses from their typecast roles, or perhaps it's simply because Rowan Atkinson is such a terrific and professional performer, but all throughout "Maigret Sets a Trap" you never once get the impression that he's miscast. You immediately accept Atkinson as Maigret and never associate his appearance here with the idiotic facial expressions of Mr. Bean. Hats off to you, Mr. Atkinson, you are a phenomenal actor. Evidently, people who're familiar with "Blackadder" knew this already for years…

With regards to "Maigret Sets a Trap", be careful to set your expectations. It's a straightforward and compelling whodunit thriller with a solid screenplay and tense atmosphere, but it most certainly has its limitations in terms of spectacle. Bear in mind it's a TV- thriller and that the story is more than 60 years old already. That means there aren't any CGI-techniques used in the murder investigation and the character of Inspector Maigret certainly also isn't a super- detective like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. He's a bright man, but he also makes mistakes, doubts himself and takes unnecessary risks. During the 1950s in Montmartre, a community close to Paris, Maigret and his team are confronted with a serial killer who already murdered four girls in the narrow streets during the night. Comparisons with Jack the Ripper from London are quickly made and Maigret is under a lot of pressure since there hasn't been any progress in six months. When he finds out more about the psychology and profiling of serial killers, Maigret decides to provoke the culprit via the media and set a trap to apprehend him. The plan works and Maigret arrests his suspect, but is this man really guilty? "Maigret Sets a Trap" doesn't feature any wild car chases, steamy sex sequences, virulent shoot-outs or nasty make- up effects, but it's a respectful new adaptation of a classic suspense novel. The re-creation of the 50s in Paris is particularly well-handled, with beautiful decors, costumes and cars. Atkinson is great and receives excellent support from a dozen of adequate players.

Well, here's the first part in the latest detective film series made for television. Sets in the 1950s Paris, starred by Rowan Atkinson in the title role like you have never seen before. No doubt that he's a comedy legend, from the small kids to elderly men loves his shows and films, but recently he had needed a breakthrough and this film provided one.

Detective themes, especially solving crimes are always expected to be more intelligent with full of twist and turns by the viewers. Be it Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, the European style, especially in the classic attire including the black hat and pipe smoking, never fails to deliver. It was also adapted from the books by a Belgian writer. Very neatly told story that focused only one particular case. Another 3 films are due, one in later this year and the other two are set for next year. If you love Murder mysteries, then it is certainly worth a watch.

Okay, the story takes place in the French capital, Paris. It opened with a catchy music track and the opening credits including the title graphics are with an impression of very classic. With the unsolved murder cases in the hand, chief inspector Jules Maigret visits a new crime scene where another young woman was killed. He finds a similar pattern in all those events and learns a serial killer on the loose. So instead to follow the clues he never got one, he decides to set a trap, a risky one. Well, does the killer take a bait, and if he does, then how Maigret proves his crimes to the press who are eagerly after the case since day one and the public who are shocked and scared of these killings is the film told with some style.

"So how would a killer react... If someone else was given credit for his crime?"

It is a perfect narration, if not an intelligent as you were anticipated. Because you know in the history of 100 years of film, there are hundreds of detective films and surely you might have seen at least a dozens that tops the league. So the prediction becomes your first priority which makes the turnarounds in the storytelling in a film is a normal thing. That's how you won't get much excited, unlike if you're young and haven't seen many which makes it is one of yours early films in this theme.

Either way, it is a fine film. No matter how much you guess the next scenes and the dialogues or just sit back to enjoy, you will be well entertained in those 90 minutes. That mystery tone was well maintained in the whole narration. Even when Maigret nears to solve the crime, somewhere, somewhat, something tells you that it's not over yet and proving the crime becomes the subplot with increasing pace towards the conclusion. My only disappointment was the killer's motive. In order to make Maigret a great character, the negative character loses its strength otherwise it is almost a masterpiece.

The focus on the characters was limited, especially in the first half it was all about Maigret and a bit of others who he was associated with like family, colleagues et cetera. Only after the halfway mark it expands and explore a new dimensional view as a possibility when a suspected criminal enters the frame. There's no room for the dull moments. I don't know the difference between the book and this film, but they got all the best parts to fill it with the interesting stuffs to keep the rhythm high at all the time. The film ends with the same French track as the opening, setting its trademark.

The 'Johnny English' star in a similar character, but very serious and authentic. By the end this film series would definitely define his acting career to a new line. I am already beginning to think of the big screen version of this tale. But as a customary, lets wait for the next installment titled 'Maigret's Dead Man' which obviously going to be another classy. Well, that's the result, I'm hoping for. A British film about a French detective written by a Belgian writer, this is among the best summer films of the 2016 that you should not miss.

7.5/10