Inspector Maigret

A perfect detective story, of the classic cut, with nothing lacking or redundant. There's a paranoid atmosphere, there's a chase of the killer in the dark alleys of Paris and it culminates in the interrogation "grilling" of the perpetrator, wich, by the way, is excellently filmed and edited. Jean Gabin was and always will be the best Maigret, combining passion and vivacity with stoic calm and charisma, and you can only watch in amazement to see which of his character layers he uses when interrogating suspects. Such a multi-layered police figure is not so common in the crime genre, and Gabin grasps it phenomenally. Perhaps the film lacks a major surprise moment, as the killer was clearly offering himself up from the halfway point, but I still enjoyed it to the max. (02/15/2024)

Before watching this film, my only reference for Maigret was Rowan Atkinson, who did a fine job but played the character in a rather subdued manner. Jean Gabin, on the other hand, brings an incredible vitality and unexpected boldness to the role. This is a perfect, somewhat dark detective story, made even better by Gabin's unique blend of charm and subtle humor. His performance keeps you hooked until the final "fin" appears on screen. (08/15/2022)