This second Italian Maigret series, has, in my view, been unfairly maligned. Sure, it has little to do with the original concept of the title character, but as a piece of entertainment all on its own, it's a stylish and entertaining murder mystery.
Sergio Castellitto plays a thoroughly Italian Maigret, all hand gestures and wry smiles. With a pencil moustache and dressed in smart, tailored suits, he couldn't convince a blind man he was French. But this production seems to take little care in hiding its nationality and that, to me, was part of the charm. The technicolour palette, broad comedic touches, and grand emotions are all distinctly Italianate and make this Maigret stand out from all the other, melancholic and thoroughly French versions.
Castellitto strikes a nice balance between the stern policeman and the witty man and his Maigret is both irresistibly charming and commanding. My only problem with his performance is that he shouts too much, treating his colleagues more like indolent children than equals. But, all in all, he makes for a very good lead in this series, a likeable and intelligent presence.
A lot more than usual is made of Maigret's home life and now besides a wife, he has also acquired a whole host of small children. Margherita Buy co-stars as Mme Maigret and gives as charming a performance as her on-screen husband. The writers wisely use these scenes not as mere comedic relief but to contrast the bleak reality Maigret encounters during his job. This works especially well in the second episode, "The Chinese Shadows" which revolves entirely around a murderously dysfunctional family.
Less successful are Maigret's colleagues who are played up for comic relief. Some like Lapointe and Comeliaeu are grating buffoons while others like Janvier and Lognon are utterly forgettable cardboard cutouts. Nevertheless, Eva Santolaria is absolutely perfectly cast as the wily reporter Maguy.
Of the two stories, the first, "The Trap", is the best. A nicely paced, richly produced thriller that gives ample opportunity for both the cast and the production values to be shown off. I found the guest stars, Renato Marchetti and Pep Cortés quite forgettable, especially the former who is quite unremarkable, but the rest of the episode moved at a neat pace and held several good surprises even for someone who's read and loves the novel.
In sharp contrast, the significantly cheaper-looking second episode, "The Chinese Shadows", suffers from pacing problems as the writers bend over backwards in trying to turn Simenon's psychological study into a murder mystery. The plot goes through a lot of rejigging and many clues are added but the result is a failure nonetheless. Roberto Citran and Greta Scacchi, however, are quite good as the Martins, especially the former who conveys Mr Martin's feebleness very convincingly.
This production has little to do with Simenon's vision of Maigret, but as a stand-alone series, it had potential. The star was excellent, as were the production values, and Renato De Maria's direction showed style and verve. I was especially bowled over by Nicola Piovani's beautiful and haunting score which is far better than anything I've heard on television in a long time. On the downside are the pacing issues and some awkward humour, but those, I firmly believe, could have been overcome had the series lasted longer.
