Paul Evans ITV love giving us great crime drama serials, and with Poirot and Marple gone, there's a definite gap in the genre. Maigret boasts some great stories, the only question being was Rowan Atkinson the right man for the job? The answer categorically is yes, within a few minutes I'd forgotten about his many great previous works and was now focused on him as Maigret.Fantastic production values, the whole Noir style looked and sounded great. Fantastic setting of course, coupled with great costumes helped create a wonderful sense of atmosphere. I'm delighted that they opted against putting on French accents, and I'm glad that the sound throughout was excellent. I liked the music, although I see why some could have found it a bit much. The camera work was first rate, it looked slick and moved on at a great pace.Atkinson was really good, and I look forward to more future episodes, Lucy Cohu is superb casting as his wife, and the supporting cast were really on point too, especially David Dawson and Fiona Shaw, the latter looking spot on for the part.I see this lasting for a good few years, who doesn't love a good crime drama, especially one of this calibre. 8/10

manoleanuroman-36453 Since this is my first Maigret I was impressed with the film. I think it is amazing how nice everything looks, especially the costumes and cars, the details are astounding! I can't comment on music, as I didn't even notice it, was too mesmerized by the image and story. Maybe some scenes were too long, but in general it was of a right length. I am a big fan of Rowan Atkinson, since The Blackadder series so I may be biased, but I really enjoyed this crime series. I remember when I was younger I even adored Murder She Wrote :)). Anyway, it's nothing like Cumberbatch' Sherlock, but it has it's own charm, I highly recommend it! I believe we can never have enough murder mysteries!! I'm off to watch Gambon's Maigret now, see what the fuss is all about! Cheers!

Reno Rangan Well, here's the first part in the latest detective film series made for television. Sets in the 1950s Paris, starred by Rowan Atkinson in the title role like you have never seen before. No doubt that he's a comedy legend, from the small kids to elderly men loves his shows and films, but recently he had needed a breakthrough and this film provided one.Detective themes, especially solving crimes are always expected to be more intelligent with full of twist and turns by the viewers. Be it Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, the European style, especially in the classic attire including the black hat and pipe smoking, never fails to deliver. It was also adapted from the books by a Belgian writer. Very neatly told story that focused only one particular case. Another 3 films are due, one in later this year and the other two are set for next year. If you love Murder mysteries, then it is certainly worth a watch.Okay, the story takes place in the French capital, Paris. It opened with a catchy music track and the opening credits including the title graphics are with an impression of very classic. With the unsolved murder cases in the hand, chief inspector Jules Maigret visits a new crime scene where another young woman was killed. He finds a similar pattern in all those events and learns a serial killer on the loose. So instead to follow the clues he never got one, he decides to set a trap, a risky one. Well, does the killer take a bait, and if he does, then how Maigret proves his crimes to the press who are eagerly after the case since day one and the public who are shocked and scared of these killings is the film told with some style."So how would a killer react... If someone else was given credit for his crime?"It is a perfect narration, if not an intelligent as you were anticipated. Because you know in the history of 100 years of film, there are hundreds of detective films and surely you might have seen at least a dozens that tops the league. So the prediction becomes your first priority which makes the turnarounds in the storytelling in a film is a normal thing. That's how you won't get much excited, unlike if you're young and haven't seen many which makes it is one of yours early films in this theme.Either way, it is a fine film. No matter how much you guess the next scenes and the dialogues or just sit back to enjoy, you will be well entertained in those 90 minutes. That mystery tone was well maintained in the whole narration. Even when Maigret nears to solve the crime, somewhere, somewhat, something tells you that it's not over yet and proving the crime becomes the subplot with increasing pace towards the conclusion. My only disappointment was the killer's motive. In order to make Maigret a great character, the negative character loses its strength otherwise it is almost a masterpiece.The focus on the characters was limited, especially in the first half it was all about Maigret and a bit of others who he was associated with like family, colleagues et cetera. Only after the halfway mark it expands and explore a new dimensional view as a possibility when a suspected criminal enters the frame. There's no room for the dull moments. I don't know the difference between the book and this film, but they got all the best parts to fill it with the interesting stuffs to keep the rhythm high at all the time. The film ends with the same French track as the opening, setting its trademark.The 'Johnny English' star in a similar character, but very serious and authentic. By the end this film series would definitely define his acting career to a new line. I am already beginning to think of the big screen version of this tale. But as a customary, lets wait for the next installment titled 'Maigret's Dead Man' which obviously going to be another classy. Well, that's the result, I'm hoping for. A British film about a French detective written by a Belgian writer, this is among the best summer films of the 2016 that you should not miss.7.5/10

tomsview I was looking forward to this movie, but I was a little disappointed when it finally arrived.I think so much effort was expended on getting the Maigretness of the whole thing right that tension and a plausible story went by the board.Really, a tired old serial killer plot? It may have been cutting edge (no pun intended) in 1955 when Georges Simenon penned the novel, but the subject has been explored endlessly from every possible angle over the decades.Set in 1950's Paris, the plot follows Rowan Atkinson's Maigret as he sets a trap for the killer of five women in Montmartre. Eventually he closes in on a suspect, but the biggest surprise is that the creators of the show were happy to go with a credulity stretching explanation for all the murders.A lot of money was obviously spent on the production and it is an arty looking number with dimly lit alleyways and shadows on walls à la "The Third Man". However the pace is glacial and makes an episode of David Suchet's "Poiret" seem like "Fast & Furious 7" When I first saw that Rowan Atkinson was playing Maigret, I thought that could work. But he actually plays Maigret in such a mannered way that he is not too far off Inspector Clouseau. Maybe just a little more of his natural style at a sprightlier pace would have been a better way to go. He just needed to change whatever was in that pipe.The film looks authentic enough even if it was filmed in Budapest, but also gives us a Paris that is about as quiet as a sleepy village in Provence. There is no bustle in this city, but I guess when you saddle yourself with a 1950's setting, the correct autos are not that easy to come by, and it has that shot on an early Sunday morning look."Maigret Sets a Trap" has to hold its own against brilliant, long-running series such as "Lewis", "Wallander" and "Vera" or the recent hit, "The Night Manager". I don't think it even gets up to speed with "Poirot" or "Miss Marple"; it's actually a bit of a snoozer. If a series is planned, and it doesn't rev up a bit, it could replace "Gardening Australia" as my preferred sleeping sedative.