This was an interesting episode of Maigret for a number of reasons.
First, the setting is a smaller town or village in France, I'm not sure where it is supposed to be, or where it was actually shot in the late 1990s.
In any case, it is a fascinating location for shooting, (the time represented is 1953, a mere 9 years after the liberation of France).
Second, Maigret finds that so much of the case brings back memories of his childhood living in a small town in France, around 1918. The boy in the story, who claims to have witnessed a dead body since vanished. The boy reminds Maigret of himself at the boy's age (around 11 or 12).
The boy's mother, Helene, is wonderfully played by Anne Rousel, devoted to her son, but aware of his flaws, and also displaying a warmth and vitality of her own that so captivates Maigret, that he displays a rare moment of generosity at the end that is special.
Third, there is a large list of characters. The director does a good job of delineating and returning to these characters.
Some are odd, like a retired Judge who manages to be pompous and pitiful at the same time.
Others are amusing, like the two elderly sisters, who seem to complement each other--one being almost deaf, the other being almost blind!
And some characters are just engrossing, like the wealthy youngish wife married to an older rich man, who seems indifferent to her husband knowing that she is cuckolding him.
While we, as viewers, know that the boy did actually see a dead body, the villagers largely dismiss the boy's story, including the town magistrate. Watching Maigret navigate his own doubts is enjoyable to watch.
First, the setting is a smaller town or village in France, I'm not sure where it is supposed to be, or where it was actually shot in the late 1990s.
In any case, it is a fascinating location for shooting, (the time represented is 1953, a mere 9 years after the liberation of France).
Second, Maigret finds that so much of the case brings back memories of his childhood living in a small town in France, around 1918. The boy in the story, who claims to have witnessed a dead body since vanished. The boy reminds Maigret of himself at the boy's age (around 11 or 12).
The boy's mother, Helene, is wonderfully played by Anne Rousel, devoted to her son, but aware of his flaws, and also displaying a warmth and vitality of her own that so captivates Maigret, that he displays a rare moment of generosity at the end that is special.
Third, there is a large list of characters. The director does a good job of delineating and returning to these characters.
Some are odd, like a retired Judge who manages to be pompous and pitiful at the same time.
Others are amusing, like the two elderly sisters, who seem to complement each other--one being almost deaf, the other being almost blind!
And some characters are just engrossing, like the wealthy youngish wife married to an older rich man, who seems indifferent to her husband knowing that she is cuckolding him.
While we, as viewers, know that the boy did actually see a dead body, the villagers largely dismiss the boy's story, including the town magistrate. Watching Maigret navigate his own doubts is enjoyable to watch.
