Maigret (TV Series) Maigret et la tête d'un homme (1995) User Reviews

Enjoyable

[bob998 · 8/10 · 17 June 2014]

The Maigret series fits me like a glove. I enjoy watching Bruno Cremer slowly working out his problem as he fills his pipe and lumbers through the set. He is much more fun to watch than Jean Gabin was: you waited for Gabin to explode in anger, then when he did you just waited for the final credits to roll--nothing more to see. I much prefer a thoughtful Maigret.

This episode has some first class acting. Tall gaunt Olivier Achard plays a man condemned to death who can't seem to respond to Maigret's questions, even when he could be cleared. Emmanuel Salinger is really good as a cynical villain--I remember how effective he was in Desplechin's early films. Marisa Berenson is celebrity casting. The club is beautifully filmed; the camera darts in and out of tight little groupings at tables, great to watch. Lovely music too.

Maigret spoiled by a delusional director?

[Tony-Holmes · 6/10 · 1 June 2023]

Saw this on the Talking Pictures channel, UK older films and TV. They showed the entire collection of the Rupert Davies Maigret episodes (BBC, early 60s) and are now showing this quirky, slow-paced French one (90s) with subtitles.

The atmosphere is very French, lots of slow thoughtful looks, and Maigret wastes few words, which fits with the books, as does the actor's rather lumbering figure.

THIS particular episode has a different director, praised in the review of AndreyGrachev, who likes them being "moody" - but in fact the episode is really annoying, about half an hour spent (wasted?!) with repeated sequences involving mirrors, reflections, and half or barely seen characters.

This story was done in the British 60s version, and much better too, the story told in about an hour, without losing the key info.

I see that review also says "close to the book visionary"? This is nonsense -- in the books, and the British series, Maigret does crack the odd joke, and has some repartee with faithful R-H man Lucas. In this however, Lucas hardly ever appears, not even mentioned in most episodes, which is STRANGE - I cannot recall a book without him featuring in some way! He ALSO says "the series were shot in France and have Paris atmospheres and people".

THAT comment is utter nonsense, the opening titles refer to a collaboration with Czech TV, most of the location shooting was done in Prague (too hard to make 90s Paris look like the 50s), PLUS many of the minor characters are played by Czechs (see the names in the titles?!) and lots of the film technicians are also Czech. Nothing wrong with that, it just suggests the reviewer doesn't pay close attention?!

What else? Well, the story is efficiently told, it just takes nearly an hour too long to tell, and for some unknown reason Maigret is given an idiot as a junior team member, Dufour I think, someone I've never seen in a Maigret book, and it seemed just there for comic effect, to lighten the mood??

I do hope this director hasn't done any more episodes!

"A man's head is worth a scandal"

[thegreatswan · 29 June 2003]

Spoiler : Near Paris, Mrs Henderson, an old american widow, is savagely murdered, and her cleaning lady too. The inquire leads to Heurtin, employee at "La Coupole" restaurant. He is arrested by Commissionner Maigret, and condemned to die. But Maigret thinks that Heurtin is innocent, and helps him to escape from the jail. Then, Maigret starts his work again. Everything began at "La Coupole", when Crosby, the nephew of Mrs Henderson, submerged of debts, emits out loud his will to see his aunt to die, in order to obtain her $20.000.000 legacy. An odd Czech named Radek heared about that, and accepted the "contract". And he gives Heurtin the idea to make a burgling in the villa. So Heurtin became the ideal culprit, and nothing would happened to Radek or Crosby... Crosby ends by killing himself, scared with the idea he could be arrested. But Radek, too proud, wants to be recognized for committing the perfect murder. A fault will cause its loss. Some months later, the guillotine's blade falls on Radek's neck.

Fifth adaptation of Simenon's novel, this TV version is the best one after "The man of the Eiffel Tower", and probably one of the best "Maigret" movies of the 90's. Bruno Cremer plays an excellent Maigret, decided to sacrifice his career to save an innocent. Emmanuel Salinger is really a wretched but brilliant Radek. Marisa Berenson, Olivier Achard, all actors are very credible in their roles. In two words, really good-o.

Very effective beginning and ending

[andreygrachev · 10/10 · 23 December 2008]

We were very glad to see both Maigret series directed by Juraj Herz in 1996. The director is famous for his surreal, psychedelic, necro movies. He is awesome in every work he presents. Horrors, comedies, war films, sci fi, mystery, fairytale- everything is outstanding in our opinion. These very moody and music like detective-stories with great actors and very close to the book visionary. Both films have suspense and mystery in solving the ordinary crimes. It reminds Italian thrillers. The series were shoot in France and have those Paris atmospheres and people. Great calm music. Good acting. Everything looks very stylish.

www.myspace.com/neizvest

"The place was writhing with humanity."

[garywhalen · 9/10 · 7 September 2023]

"A Man's Head" (the original book's title upon which this episode is based) was one of George Simenon's earlier Maigret mysteries, and it shows in both the book and this film. A gimmick of sorts is used to determine the murderer, and though the film's is a slight variation on the book's, they are similar "gimmicks." That's OK though, I think, though it does weaken the conclusion of the story. I do think this episode is worth your time as it captures the atmosphere of a Maigret mystery as well as any I've seen. One doesn't read Simenon's Maigret mysteries simply for setup, epiphanous moment, and denouement. I would say the same is true of watching this series. Getting to and finding out "Who did it?" matters, yes, but only a bit. The best parts are the lingering moments in between.

Much of Maigret's time, and thus ours, is spent at La Coupole, an American bar/bistro. It is a place of clinking glasses, expensive alcohol and food, younger women, and older men . . . And wafting smoke and many mirrors. This is the world that Simenon describes so well in his novels. Through the camera we see across the room a middle-aged couple of whom it is obvious can't really afford the oysters they've ordered. And over there an older man wishing he were younger as he hears the laughter of the young women, regulars at the place. People with cigarettes in hand going to phones downstairs. The smoke and mirrors are most appropriate. Deception and misdirection drive the plot and that plot is spun by one of the characters (a character I believe inspired by Shakespeare's Iago). Maigret is convinced that a convicted (and soon to be executed) man is not guilty of the double murder that led to his death sentence. Under watchful eyes Maigret provides the means for the convict to escape prison. Only in doing so, thinks Maigret, will the truth come out. The plot will include a rich American couple, the husband's lover, a former medical student, a man who dies at a bar (whom we never see and who, by the way, is not a character in the book), and the escaped convict.

While not actually shot in Paris, who cares? This is the Paris of the late 40s and early 50s, maybe not in reality but the Paris of our imagination, the Paris that Simenon paints in his stories. Capturing that look and feel is crucial if one is to film Simenon. I applaud the filmmakers.

(BY THE WAY, In Simenon's Maigret stories, Maigret's assistants change with some being given more prominence than others in different books. Those assistants include Lucas, LaPointe, Torrence, Dufour, and Janvier. The filmmakers sometimes condense these characters into maybe one or two where in the book there are two or three or more. It seldom, if ever, affects the story or plot. While it's true that Lucas appears more in the novels than in this series he is NOT in every novel as Maigret's right hand man-as one reviewer persists in claiming. And I read a criticism of the Dufour character in this episode. Well, he's in the book and plays an important role and the part as written for this film reflects the character as found in the book.)