Convinced that her employer was murdered, Cecile Ledru comes to Maigret to prompt an investigation. The young Cecile has been an assistant and companion to Madame Croizier, an elderly wealthy woman living in Bayeux who died soon after an appointment with her dentist. The woman died of a heart attack, as recorded by a physician, in her nephew's mansion. There were no indications of murder based on the condition of the body. The prosecutor warns Maigret to tread carefully as he delves into the lives of an upper class, connected family.
George Simenon's short story "The Old Lady of Bayeux" is the source for this solid episode in the Bruno Cremer "Maigret" series. The film follows the story very closely with two mild exceptions: 1) The film is set in Paris, whereas the original story is in Caen; 2) a death in the story is a bit more complex in the film. I can see why the filmmakers chose this short story as it provides a good mystery, clearly defined characters, and a plot that intrigues. (I'll add that though the plot is more Agatha Christie than typical Simenon, it works reasonably well here.)
Vanessa Larré, as the lady's companion, is perfectly cast as the demure lady's companion, and Vincent Winterhalter, as the nephew, captures the arrogant superiority of the upper class quite well. But there are others in small and large roles who play their parts quite well. Though the ending isn't perfect-while the denouement works it includes one minor (and odd) added piece not in the story-it's satisfying. I didn't notice until the end that this film is longer than average for this series, yet it's based on a "short" story.
George Simenon's short story "The Old Lady of Bayeux" is the source for this solid episode in the Bruno Cremer "Maigret" series. The film follows the story very closely with two mild exceptions: 1) The film is set in Paris, whereas the original story is in Caen; 2) a death in the story is a bit more complex in the film. I can see why the filmmakers chose this short story as it provides a good mystery, clearly defined characters, and a plot that intrigues. (I'll add that though the plot is more Agatha Christie than typical Simenon, it works reasonably well here.)
Vanessa Larré, as the lady's companion, is perfectly cast as the demure lady's companion, and Vincent Winterhalter, as the nephew, captures the arrogant superiority of the upper class quite well. But there are others in small and large roles who play their parts quite well. Though the ending isn't perfect-while the denouement works it includes one minor (and odd) added piece not in the story-it's satisfying. I didn't notice until the end that this film is longer than average for this series, yet it's based on a "short" story.
