Maigret in Montmartre production notes · PDF fileWhat kind of world does Maigret investigate in Maigret In Montmartre? “It’s Georges Simenon’s favourite arena, which is the

MaigretinMontmartre

Contents

InterviewwithRowanAtkinson 3- 6

FilmSynopsis 7- 8

CastandProductionCredits 9

BackPage 10

WhatkindofworlddoesMaigretinvestigateinMaigretInMontmartre?

“It’sGeorgesSimenon’sfavouritearena,whichistheseedysideofParis.Theclubs,thegirls,theprostitutionandthelowlife.Montmartrewasthecentreofthatsortofthinginthemid-1950s.

“Also,it’sindicativeoftheauthor’sinfatuationwithyoungwomen.Andparticularlyyoungwomenofthestreetsoryoungwomenwhowereforcedtoworkinacertainway.

“ThecharacterofshowgirlArlettereflectsGeorgesSimenon’sinterestinawomanwhoissocompletelyalluring.Extremelylibidinousasateenagerandthen,inevitablyreally,endingupinaclubandbeingusedbyastringofmenindifferentways.

“Butatthesametime,shehasclearlygotcharismaandmagicandsheleavesherstamp.Menfindhercompletelyirresistible.That’swhatthestoryisabout.Someonewho,unsurprisinglygiventhatpowershehasovermen,getsintoalotoftrouble.

“TheownerofthenightclubFredisprettyvillainousbutalsosurprising.It’saveryinterestingstory.IthinkthisisthebestMaigretfilmyet.Withsomeverygoodperformances.”

WhatimpressiondoesArlettemakeonMaigret?

“ThereisasensethatMaigretisdrawnintoherandhervulnerability.Someonewhoisveryattractiveandalluringbutalsoveryvulnerable.Maigretfeelsthatandfeelstheneedtocareforher.”

RowanAtkinsonisChiefInspectorJulesMaigret

HowdoesMaigrethandlethesituationhefindshimselfinandwhatdoeshethinkofClubLePicrattandthatshadypartofParis?

“Weportrayhim,asGeorgesSimenondid,asaverydecentmarriedman.Notsomeone- asI’msurewasprobablycommoninhislineofworkthen- whohasaffairsorgetsseducedinthatway.He’sasurprisinglyuprightanddecentman.AndyetheisconstantlydealinginthemurkofParisianlowlife.It’stheeffectithasonhim.

“Heisdrawntoitbecauseheseeksjusticeandtruth.Butatthesametime,it’snotaworldinwhichyouwouldexpecthimtofeelcomfortable.It’saconstantdichotomy.He’sdrawninandyethedoesn’tfeelcomfortablethere.

“Yousensehisuncertainty.Hecertainlydoesn’trelishthatworld.Hedoesn’tembraceit.Butatthesametimeheknowsyouhaveto,toacertainextent,inordertofindoutwhat’sgoingon.”

DowegettoseemoreofapersonalsideofMaigretinthisfilm?

“Yes,IthinkweseeMaigretandhiswifeattheirmostintimateyet.It’sallverysubtle.Butcertainly,it’sindicativeofthesuccessoftheirrelationship.He’sdefinitelyahappilymarriedman.Maigretandhiswifegetonverywell.

“Andthat’simportantinrelationtohiswork.Becauseit’ssooddforsuchadecentmantohavetodealwithsuchindecentpeopleandworlds.ItisthatcontrastbetweenthedecencyandthesuccessinrelationshiptermsofMaigret’s ownlifecomparedtothecompleteandutterfailureofthepeoplehe’sdealingwithinthisstory.”

WhatwasthebiggestchallengewhilstfilmingMaigretinMontmartre?

“Theweatherwasabsolutelyterrible.WhenIsteppedofftheplanetofilminBudapestinJanuary,itwasminus15.Itwasbitterlycold.TheDanubefrozeover.Irememberlookingoutofmyhotelroomwhenitwas,effectively,completelysolid.Andthenforafewweeksaftertherewerejustthesemassiveiceflowsontheriver.

“TherewasonesceneIwasn’tinwheresomeoneisalmostkilledbyanothercharacter.Theyweredownbyalakewhere,inthescript,itwassupposedtobeanattemptatmurderbydrowning.Butbecauseitwasminus12thatnightthelakewasfrozensolidandwehadtodeviseanewmethodtoalmostdoawaywiththecharacter.”

Asyou’vedevelopedthecharacterofMaigrethaveyoubecomeslightlymoreexpansiveinthewayyouplayhim?

“Yes.IfeelasthoughIstartedtorelaxwiththecharacterabitmoreandhaveabitmorefunwithMaigretandmakehimalittlemorehuman.Ratherthanjustsomeonewhoisratherstern,whichishowIthinkhewasinthefirstcoupleoffilms.Iwasabitbraverwithhim,Isuppose.”

RowanAtkinsoninterviewcontinued

Theshowgirlsattheclubputonaperformanceintheirownway.Whendidyoufirstrealisethatyouwantedtoperform?

“Itwasatschool.IseemtorememberwhenIwas11or12standingupinfrontofmyfellowpupilsintheschoolchangingroomanddoingsomekindofperformance.Ican’trememberwhatitwasbutitwasundoubtedlysupposedtobeatleastcomicandaimedatamusingthem.

“Istarteddoingschoolplaysandthencarriedonthroughmyadolescenceinsecondaryschoolandontouniversity.Theageof10,11,12waswhenIrememberdoing,let’ssay,spontaneousperformancesformypeers.”

TVdramaisnowonaglobalstageandcanbeseentorivalthefilmworld.Howdoyoufeelaboutthat?

“Itcertainlyisn’tthepoorrelationcomparedtothefilmandmovieworld.There’snodoubtthatwhenyoulookatthequalityofdramaonTVtherearesomeveryhighproductionvalueswithlotsofmoneyspent.

“Youcanseeitdrawsthetalentin.Directorsfromfilmareseeingthevalueoftelevisiondrama.Thatactuallyitdoesn’thavetobetooobvious,itdoesn’thavetobeovertlycommercial.Itjusthastobegood.Andyoucanhavescenesthatgoonformuchlongerthansceneswouldnormallygoonfor,inmovieseven.Becauseyoudon’thavetotellthewholestoryinanhourandahalf.Youcantellitoverninehours.That’sahugefreedomandahugedifference.”

Dopeoplerecogniseyouwhenyoutravelonpublictransport?

“WhatI’vehadonceortwiceispeoplesaying,‘Oh,hello.Iknowyou.Oh…what’syournameagain?’AndIsay,‘RowanAtkinson.’Andtheysay,‘No,no,no.’Amostpeculiarideawhereyoutellpeopleyournameandtheydon’tbelieveyou.Ortheyassumeyou’rejoking.Thatyou’vemadesomethingup.

“Foryouridentitytobedeniedtoyourfaceispotentiallyquitedisturbing.Itdoeshappen.Inmanyways,youpreferpeopletobesureaboutrecognisingyouratherthanunsure.It’stheunsurepeoplewhotakelongertodealwith,I’dsay.”

MaigretInMontmartrewillbescreenedoverthefestiveperiod.HowdoyoufeelaboutChristmasasafestivaltoday?Hasitbecometoocommercialised?

“Itisdifficult.It’stheshortnessofit,actually.IliketheideaofalongChristmas.IliketheideaofaChristmasthatstartsonChristmasDayandends,infactbychance,onmybirthdayonthe6thofJanuary.Theyarethe12daysofChristmas.

“Whereaswhattendstohappenisthereissuchahugebuildup.ButonceChristmasDayisover,peoplethinkChristmasisover.Forthemajorityofpeoplethat’sit.Andthenit’sintothesalesthenextday.OrthishugeonlinebusinessthatstartslateronChristmasDayandmergesintothefollowingday.

“Andthat’sfine.Butit’saverygoodideaforChristmastobeatimeofrestandconsideritatimewhenyouarequietandfamily-oriented.

RowanAtkinsoninterviewcontinued

“Ofcourse,noteverybodyhasthefacilitytorestandsomepeoplearebacktoworkthedayafterBoxingDay.Butifyouhavethementalspaceandthephysicalcapabilityofswitchingoffandrelaxingthenthatisagoodidea.

“SeeingasthebuilduptoChristmasisalwayssohectic.Onceit’sthere,justenjoyitandrelax.Ratherthanthinking,‘NowwhatIshouldbedoing?’”

RowanAtkinsoninterviewcontinued

Arlette,abeguilingshowgirlfromaseedyclubinMontmartrearrivesattheQuaidesOrfevres lateonenightdrunkandclaimingshehasoverheardtwomendiscussingthemurderofaCountesswhilstshewasperforming.DuringinitialquestioningArletteispricklyandthenovercomewithtiredness,sheinsistsonlyingdowntosleep.Leftalone,sometimelatershesuddenlywakesterrifiedandscreamingthename"Oscar".AsMaigrettriestodigalittledeeperaskingifOscarisoneofthemenintendingtokill.ButArlettebecomesincreasinglydefensiveandsuddenlyrushesfromthebuilding.

ThenextmorningnewsarrivesthatArlettehasbeenfoundmurderedinherapartment.

MaigretlearnsfromCoronerDr PaulthatArlettewasstrangledbyastrongman.HeridentitypapersareforgedandMaigretsuspectsArlettehadareasontohideherpast.Arrivingatthescene,younginspectorLaPointeisrenderedunaccountablyspeechlessatthesightofthegirl.Hehurriedlyexcuseshimselfandleavestheapartment.AnnoyedwithhimselfforfailingtoappreciatethedepthofArlette'stroubles,backattheQuaiMaigretvowstocatchthekiller.ButheisinterruptedbynewsthataCountesshasalsobeenfoundstrangledinasimilarmanner.

It'sasqualidsceneandcleartheCountesswasheavilydependentonmorphine.Butwhat'sleftoftheCountess'svaluableshavebeenleftuntouchedandatiarafoundonthestairssuggestthatthekillerwasn'tafterhermoney.MaigretalsofindsabundleofloveletterswhichtelloftheCountess'spassionaterelationshipwithherhusband.

Filmsynopsis

Filmsynopsiscontinued

Later,MoerschecksnewspaperrecordsanddiscoversthattheCountapparentlycommittedsuicidewhenhejumpedfromthebalconyoftheir10thfloorapartment.GatheringthattherelationshiphadsouredMaigretwonderswhether"theoldboywaspushed?"butthere'snoevidencetosuggestit.TheConciergeattheCountess’sapartmenttellsMaigretthattheonlypeopletovisittheCountessregularlywereherdoctor,whomshe'salreadysummonedandapatheticrentboywhowasmostcertainlytherethenightbeforebutwhosenameshecan'trecall.Maigretwondersiftheboywitnessedthemurder.AsheleavesthebuildingMaigretmeetsDoctorBlochwho’sjustarrivedtoattendhispatient.DiscoveringtheCountessisdeadBlochisinahurrytoleavebutMaigretinsistsheattendstheQuaiwherehe’squestionedaboutthesupplyofmorphine.Maigretalsolearnstheidentityandaddressoftherent-boylivinginagarretabovetheCountess.HisnameisPhilippeMartinot andtogetherwithJanvier,Maigretvisitstheloftbutthere’snosignoftheboy.

Maigretobsessesovertheconnectionbetweenthetwowomen,andMadameMaigretbecomesincreasinglyfrustratedthathisinvestigationistakingovertheirlives.InthemiddleofthenightMme Maigretdiscoversherhusbandre-stagingArlette'smurderinhisdiningroomtogethertheyimaginethescenarioandworkoutanexplanationforthetwotypesofbloodfoundatthecrimescene.Maigretisconvincedthekillerhasunfinishedbusinessandwillkillagain.

AtClubPicratt MaigretmeetsFred,theownerandhiswifeRosa.Rosaisveryupsetbutdefensiveaboutthegirls.ShetellsMaigretthatearlierintheeveningbeforeshedied,Arlettewaskeepingclosecompanywithayoungman.Couldhebethekiller?LaterMaigretreturnstotheclubtoquestionshowgirlsTaniaandBettyandlearnsthatArlette'srealnamewasMarieLeFevre.

MaigretdiscoversfurtherrelativeinformationwhichleadshisteamtoLisieux andNiceanddiscoversthestoryofArlette’searlyupbringingwhichledhertomeettheCountesswhereshebecamehermaidandfindsoutaboutachauffeurnamedOscarBonvoison.

ConvincedthatPhilippecanidentifyOscar,MaigrettasksJanvier tofindtheboyandheiseventuallycornerednearapissoir inMontmartre.Indesperateneedofafix,PhilippeisreleasedinthehopethathewillactasbaitforOscarandlurehimout.

Maigretcontinuesonajourneyofdiscoverytounveilthetruthbehindthemurders.

CastCredits

Maigret ROWANATKINSON

MadameMaigret LUCYCOHU

Janvier SHAUNDINGWALL

Lapointe LEOSTAAR

Moers MARKHEAP

Rosa LORRAINEASHBOURNE

Fred DOUGLASHODGE

Philippe SEBASTIANDESOUZA

Lognon COLINMACE

DrPaul HUGHSIMON

DrBloch ADRIANSCARBOROUGH

Arlette OLIVIAVINALL

TheGrasshopper SIMONGREGOR

MadameDussardier SARAKESTELMAN

Nathalie TILLYVOSBURGH

Madama Aubain JANEWOOD

TheCountess NICOLASLOANE

Oscar ADRIANRAWLINS

Tania CASSIECLARE

Betty NIKÉ KURTA

ProductionCredits

ExecutiveProducer/Producer JEREMYGWILT

ExecutiveProducer JOHNSIMENON

ExecutiveProducer BARNABYTHOMPSON

Writer GUYANDREWS

Director THADDEUSO’SULLIVAN

ProductionDesigner DOMINICHYMAN

CostumeDesigner LUCINDAWRIGHT

CastingDirector JULIADUFF

Composer SAMSIM

DirectorofPhotography DIRKNEL

CastandProductionCredits

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