Cécile est morte!

Kino Lorber has once again done a fine job with this restoration; the b/w cinematography comes through with utmost clarity in this Blu-ray reissue. The performances by Germaine Kerjean as the greedy aunt and Jean Brochard as the crooked charity worker are excellent, so to is that by Santa Relli as the hapless Cecile. The problem lies with Prejean's Maigret, always sarcastic and bullying, the opposite of the Maigret of the novels. I guess the scriptwriter had to pay tribute to Prejean's working class background--he'd been a boxer and stunt man--but it's hard for me to accept. Gabriello's character is blown out of proportion, he's given lines to say that just don't fit Lucas' role in the novel. If you can ignore these flaws, you'll enjoy a good story.