From the director of the excellent Monsieur Hire - still one of the best Simenon adaptations - you certainly expect more than this tired, geriatric and rather pedestrian treatment. It's all very dark bluish, with unsteady camera, listless performances and general air of fatigue (it opens with Maigret's visit to the doctor).

It's a pity Lecont and Depardieu couldn't make Maigret sooner, in their better years (the novel was filmed before - much more lively if not particularly excitingly - with Jean Richard in 1973).

With a competent cast of experienced actors you would have expected a better story. Instead it plodded on until you were hoping for it to end. When it finally did come to a conclusion it wasn't worth the wait.

I enjoyed this film. It has the right deadpan quality that infuses the Simenon books. There are no car chases, shouting, running from or towards villains - But lots of atmosphere. Visually, the film is very dark, almost monochrome so the shot at the end of the young woman in the red dress is a visual shock. I liked the relationship between Maigret and Madam Maigret which revolves around food and love (now that their daughter has died). Gerard Depardieu is terrific, very underplayed but full of psychological nuance. Yes, it's slow and 'measured', but worth it by film's end.