Welcome to a pair of vintage mysteries with George Simenon’s popular Inspector Jules Maigret, a gumshoe who gets the tough cases. Top kick French actor Jean Gabin is the cop who keeps cool, until it’s time to rattle a recalcitrant suspect. In two separate cases, he tracks a serial killer in the heart of Paris, and travels to his hometown to unearth a murder conspiracy.
Maigret Sets a Trap
and
Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case
Blu-ray (separate releases)
Kino Classics
1958, 1959 / B&W /1:37 flat; 1:66 widescreen / 118, 101 min. / Street Date December 5, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber: Trap, St. Fiacre / 29.95 ea.
Starring: Jean Gabin, Annie Girardot, Jean Desailly, Olivier Hussenot, Lucienne Bogaert, Paulette Dubost, Lino Ventura, Dominique Page / Jean Gabin, Michel Auclair, Valentine Tessier, Michel Vitold, Camille Guérini, Gabrielle Fontan, Micheline Luccioni, Jacques Marin, Paul Frankeur, Robert Hirsch.
Cinematography: Louis Page
Film Editor: Henri Taverna
Original Music: Paul Misraki...
Maigret Sets a Trap
and
Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case
Blu-ray (separate releases)
Kino Classics
1958, 1959 / B&W /1:37 flat; 1:66 widescreen / 118, 101 min. / Street Date December 5, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber: Trap, St. Fiacre / 29.95 ea.
Starring: Jean Gabin, Annie Girardot, Jean Desailly, Olivier Hussenot, Lucienne Bogaert, Paulette Dubost, Lino Ventura, Dominique Page / Jean Gabin, Michel Auclair, Valentine Tessier, Michel Vitold, Camille Guérini, Gabrielle Fontan, Micheline Luccioni, Jacques Marin, Paul Frankeur, Robert Hirsch.
Cinematography: Louis Page
Film Editor: Henri Taverna
Original Music: Paul Misraki...
- 12/9/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Next month, the folks at Rialto will begin touring Julien Duvivier’s 1946 film, Panique.
Duvivier made 70 films between 1919 and 1967, many of them landmarks of French cinema. His first postwar project, a noir adaptation of Georges Simenon’s Mr. Hire’s Engagement (later adapted by Patrice Leconte as Monsieur Hire), stars Michel Simon as a reviled voyeur framed for a murder by the girl he adores. Now widely considered the finest Simenon adaptation but criticized at the time for its bleakness, the long-unseen Panique has finally been given the vivid restoration it deserves.
Here are the dates and places where the film will open first:
January 20 – 31 – New York, NY – Film Forum
February 3 – 9 – Chicago, Il – Gene Siskel Film Center
February 11, 13, & 16 – Baltimore, MD – The Charles
While Panique is not yet streaming on FilmStruck alongside several other Duvivier films, we’ll keep our fingers crossed for this film to join the Collection one day.
Duvivier made 70 films between 1919 and 1967, many of them landmarks of French cinema. His first postwar project, a noir adaptation of Georges Simenon’s Mr. Hire’s Engagement (later adapted by Patrice Leconte as Monsieur Hire), stars Michel Simon as a reviled voyeur framed for a murder by the girl he adores. Now widely considered the finest Simenon adaptation but criticized at the time for its bleakness, the long-unseen Panique has finally been given the vivid restoration it deserves.
Here are the dates and places where the film will open first:
January 20 – 31 – New York, NY – Film Forum
February 3 – 9 – Chicago, Il – Gene Siskel Film Center
February 11, 13, & 16 – Baltimore, MD – The Charles
While Panique is not yet streaming on FilmStruck alongside several other Duvivier films, we’ll keep our fingers crossed for this film to join the Collection one day.
- 12/23/2016
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
The New York Film Festival’s diverse slate of programming included a Revivals slate, a series of the latest restoration and re-releases of essential cinematic classics. Some of the films included Robert Bresson’s final film “L’Argent,” Edward Yang’s second feature “Taipei Story” and Julien Duvivier’s long-unseen postwar film “Panique,” which will have a two-week run at the Film Forum this January. Watch an exclusive trailer for the restoration below.
Read More: ‘The Lion in Winter’ Restoration Trailer: Anthony Harvey’s Beloved Adaptation Gets 4K Freshening — Watch
An adaptation of Georges Simenon’s “Mr. Hire’s Engagement,” the film follows Monsieur Hire (Michel Simon), a reviled, aloof voyeur who’s framed for murder by the very girl (Viviane Romance) whom he adores. It was Duvivier’s first film in France after his stint working Hollywood during World War II, and though it was criticized at the time for its bleakness,...
Read More: ‘The Lion in Winter’ Restoration Trailer: Anthony Harvey’s Beloved Adaptation Gets 4K Freshening — Watch
An adaptation of Georges Simenon’s “Mr. Hire’s Engagement,” the film follows Monsieur Hire (Michel Simon), a reviled, aloof voyeur who’s framed for murder by the very girl (Viviane Romance) whom he adores. It was Duvivier’s first film in France after his stint working Hollywood during World War II, and though it was criticized at the time for its bleakness,...
- 12/21/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Mubi is exclusively showing Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room (2014) in the United Kingdom from September 25 - October 24, 2016. How do you condense a book into a single image? How do you transfer a story to the screen? French actor-director-writer Mathieu Amalric embarked on the latter, with a luscious celluloid adaptation of The Blue Room, Georges Simenon's tale of an affair gone wrong. The distillation of one form to another is no easy feat, so here we celebrate the cover art for Simenon's novel over the years since it's publication in 1964.Above: The 1965 edition of The Blue Room cover art by Youngman Caerter, published by Hamish Hamilton.Above: 1978 edition of The Blue Room, cover art by John Alcorn, published by Harvest/Hbj.Above: The 1968 edition of The Blue Room, cover art by Wendy Coates-Smith, published by Penguin Books.Above: The 2015 edition of The Blue Room, cover photograph by Edouard Boubat,...
- 11/8/2016
- MUBI
Mubi is exclusively showing Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room (2014) in the United Kingdom from September 25 - October 24, 2016. “If he has one consistent trait as a novelist it is his tendency to regard women, or Woman, at least, as a terrifying phenomenon, a demon ranging in a kind of erotic fury through the world of men, at once irresistible and destructive.”—John Banville on Georges Simenon“It was true. At that time, everything was true, for he was living in the moment, without questioning anything, without trying to understand, without suspecting that one day he would need to understand.” —Georges Simenon, The Blue RoomIt came and it went. I confess I’d forgotten all about The Blue Room. On second thought, I’m not sure I even knew of it in the first place. When the film appeared on Mubi, as part of a short season of films made by or starring Mathieu Amalric,...
- 10/13/2016
- MUBI
The French star on playing a Bond villain, learning from Spielberg and calling the shots in his erotic thriller The Blue Room
Mathieu Amalric’s latest film as director and star is The Blue Room, based on a Georges Simenon novel. Best known internationally as the villain in Bond film Quantum of Solace, the French actor has also worked with Steven Spielberg, David Cronenberg and Julian Schnabel, while his French films include work with Roman Polanski, Alain Resnais, André Téchiné and Arnaud Desplechin.
Simenon’s 1964 novel, about an extra-marital affair and the trial that follows, is very sexual, right from page one. What made you want to adapt it?
Everyone has their favourite Simenon book that they’ve found by chance somewhere, at their grandmother’s or on a shelf. The producer Paolo Branco told me I had three weeks to make a film, so I chose a very short book.
Mathieu Amalric’s latest film as director and star is The Blue Room, based on a Georges Simenon novel. Best known internationally as the villain in Bond film Quantum of Solace, the French actor has also worked with Steven Spielberg, David Cronenberg and Julian Schnabel, while his French films include work with Roman Polanski, Alain Resnais, André Téchiné and Arnaud Desplechin.
Simenon’s 1964 novel, about an extra-marital affair and the trial that follows, is very sexual, right from page one. What made you want to adapt it?
Everyone has their favourite Simenon book that they’ve found by chance somewhere, at their grandmother’s or on a shelf. The producer Paolo Branco told me I had three weeks to make a film, so I chose a very short book.
- 9/4/2016
- by Jonathan Romney
- The Guardian - Film News
There's this alcoholic lawyer, see? Hasn't practiced in years, since his wife ran off, just drinks all day. Lives in a big house with his young daughter, whom he suspects isn't really his. One night he hears a gunshot. And he finds a sailor, who has been living in his attic without his knowledge. And who has just died in it, with a bullet in his heart. And now his daughter's sweetheart is the prime suspect.This unlikely story has actually been filmed several times. It's the plot of a novel by Georges Simenon, master of French crime fiction: since the story is really all about the generation gap and what Philip Larkin wrote about your mum and dad, one version of the story, Stranger in the House, sometimes known under the would-be trendy title Cop Out, was made in Britain in 1967 to take advantage of the youth theme: Geraldine Chaplin...
- 8/18/2016
- MUBI
The Film Society of Lincoln Center has announced the lineup for the Revivals section, taking place during the 54th New York Film Festival (Nyff). The Revivals section showcases masterpieces from renowned filmmakers whose diverse and eclectic works have been digitally remastered, restored, and preserved with the assistance of generous partners.
Read More: Ava DuVernay’s Netflix Documentary ‘The 13th’ Will Open 54th New York Film Festival
Some of the films in the lineup include plenty of Nyff debuts returning once again: Gillo Pontecorvo’s “The Battle of Algiers,” which was the the Nyff Opening Night selection in 1967, Robert Bresson’s “L’argent,” and Barbara Kopple’s “Harlan County USA.” Also included are a program of Jacques Rivette’s early short films, Edward Yang’s second feature “Taipei Story,” Kenji Mizoguchi’s “Ugetsu,” and Marlon Brando’s solo directorial effort “One-Eyed Jacks.”
The Nyff previously announced three of the films screening...
Read More: Ava DuVernay’s Netflix Documentary ‘The 13th’ Will Open 54th New York Film Festival
Some of the films in the lineup include plenty of Nyff debuts returning once again: Gillo Pontecorvo’s “The Battle of Algiers,” which was the the Nyff Opening Night selection in 1967, Robert Bresson’s “L’argent,” and Barbara Kopple’s “Harlan County USA.” Also included are a program of Jacques Rivette’s early short films, Edward Yang’s second feature “Taipei Story,” Kenji Mizoguchi’s “Ugetsu,” and Marlon Brando’s solo directorial effort “One-Eyed Jacks.”
The Nyff previously announced three of the films screening...
- 8/4/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
As much as we’re excited for the already enticing line-up for the 2016 New York Film Festival, their Revivals slate is always a place where one can discover a number of classics or revisit favorite films. This year is no different as they have newly restored films from Robert Bresson, Edward Yang, Jacques Rivette, Marlon Brando, Kenji Mizoguchi, and more. Check out the line-up below and return for our coverage this fall. If you don’t live in New York City, there’s a good chance a number of these restorations will travel in the coming months (or year) as well as get the home video treatment.
L’argent
Directed by Robert Bresson
1983, France, 83m
Robert Bresson’s final film, an adaptation of Tolstoy’s story The Forged Coupon, is simultaneously bleak and luminous, and sharp enough to cut diamonds. The story of a counterfeit bill’s passage from hand...
L’argent
Directed by Robert Bresson
1983, France, 83m
Robert Bresson’s final film, an adaptation of Tolstoy’s story The Forged Coupon, is simultaneously bleak and luminous, and sharp enough to cut diamonds. The story of a counterfeit bill’s passage from hand...
- 8/4/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Rowan Atkinson is on the case as French detective Jules Maigret in this first-look picture.
The Mr Bean actor smokes the sleuth's trademark pipe in the image, as filming on ITV's revival of the Georges Simenon creation begins.
Atkinson is taking a break from comedy to star in a pair of two-hour films for ITV - Maigret Sets a Trap and Maigret's Dead Man, both set in 1950s Paris.
Maigret Sets A Trap began filming in Budapest this month, while Maigret's Dead Man follows later this year.
Stewart Harcourt (Marple, Poirot) is adapting Simenon's novels for the screen.
Before his death in 1989, Simenon wrote 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring the laconic, pipe-smoking police detective.
The character has previously featured in a number of TV and radio adaptations, with Michael Gambon starring in a well-received Maigret series for ITV between 1992 and 1993.
Elsewhere, Atkinson celebrated Mr Bean's 25th...
The Mr Bean actor smokes the sleuth's trademark pipe in the image, as filming on ITV's revival of the Georges Simenon creation begins.
Atkinson is taking a break from comedy to star in a pair of two-hour films for ITV - Maigret Sets a Trap and Maigret's Dead Man, both set in 1950s Paris.
Maigret Sets A Trap began filming in Budapest this month, while Maigret's Dead Man follows later this year.
Stewart Harcourt (Marple, Poirot) is adapting Simenon's novels for the screen.
Before his death in 1989, Simenon wrote 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring the laconic, pipe-smoking police detective.
The character has previously featured in a number of TV and radio adaptations, with Michael Gambon starring in a well-received Maigret series for ITV between 1992 and 1993.
Elsewhere, Atkinson celebrated Mr Bean's 25th...
- 9/8/2015
- Digital Spy
Ben Latham-Jones launches slate after buying out Barnaby Thompson.
In a multi-million dollar deal producer Ben Latham-Jones (Nina) has bought Ealing Studios Entertainment - the production arm of the iconic studio - from Barnaby Thompson and will take over the role of head of studio.
Thompson, who is set to focus on directing, will retain his shares in Ealing Studios Operations, which runs the stages and facilities business side of the business, alongside partners, Harry Handelsman and Uri Fruchtmann.
Included in the deal is part of the studio’s catalogue, comprising 26 films while further library and company acquisitions are understood to be in the works for former Fox Searchlight creative director Latham-Jones, who raised a multi-million dollar fund to support Ealing Entertainment, which he has worked at since 2013.
New projects on the outfit’s development slate include Swedish director Jesper Granslandt’s (Blondie) drama Vacation, set to star woman of the hour Noomi Rapace (The Drop) and Marwan Kenzari...
In a multi-million dollar deal producer Ben Latham-Jones (Nina) has bought Ealing Studios Entertainment - the production arm of the iconic studio - from Barnaby Thompson and will take over the role of head of studio.
Thompson, who is set to focus on directing, will retain his shares in Ealing Studios Operations, which runs the stages and facilities business side of the business, alongside partners, Harry Handelsman and Uri Fruchtmann.
Included in the deal is part of the studio’s catalogue, comprising 26 films while further library and company acquisitions are understood to be in the works for former Fox Searchlight creative director Latham-Jones, who raised a multi-million dollar fund to support Ealing Entertainment, which he has worked at since 2013.
New projects on the outfit’s development slate include Swedish director Jesper Granslandt’s (Blondie) drama Vacation, set to star woman of the hour Noomi Rapace (The Drop) and Marwan Kenzari...
- 5/17/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
ITV is to revive fictional detective Maigret, with Rowan Atkinson playing the French crime solver.
Atkinson will star in a pair of two-hour films - Maigret Sets a Trap and Maigret's Dead Man, both set in 1950s' Paris.
Stewart Harcourt (Marple, Poirot) will adapt Georges Simenon's novels for the screen.
Atkinson said: "I have been a devourer of the Maigret novels for many years and I'm very much looking forward to playing such an intriguing character, at work in Paris during a fascinating period in its history."
ITV's Director of Television Peter Fincham said: "Maigret is a prestigious commission and we're delighted to be working with Maigret Productions, Ealing Studios and Rowan Atkinson, to bring these stories to screen for our viewers."
Before his death in 1989, Simenon wrote 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring laconic, pipe-smoking police detective Jules Maigret.
The character has previously featured in a number of TV and radio adaptations,...
Atkinson will star in a pair of two-hour films - Maigret Sets a Trap and Maigret's Dead Man, both set in 1950s' Paris.
Stewart Harcourt (Marple, Poirot) will adapt Georges Simenon's novels for the screen.
Atkinson said: "I have been a devourer of the Maigret novels for many years and I'm very much looking forward to playing such an intriguing character, at work in Paris during a fascinating period in its history."
ITV's Director of Television Peter Fincham said: "Maigret is a prestigious commission and we're delighted to be working with Maigret Productions, Ealing Studios and Rowan Atkinson, to bring these stories to screen for our viewers."
Before his death in 1989, Simenon wrote 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring laconic, pipe-smoking police detective Jules Maigret.
The character has previously featured in a number of TV and radio adaptations,...
- 2/20/2015
- Digital Spy
Rowan Atkinson is set to star as Georges Simenon's iconic French detective Jules Maigret in two stand-alone, two-hour telemovies for British network ITV.
First appearing in 1931, Simenon went on to write over 75 Maigret novels which has sold close to a billion books worldwide.
The two films, entitled "Maigret Sets A Trap" and "Maigret's Dead Man," are set in 1950s Paris with the first to go into production in September. Stewart Harcourt has written the scripts.
In a statement, Rowan Atkinson says: "I have been a devourer of the Maigret novels for many years and I’m very much looking forward to playing such an intriguing character, at work in Paris during a fascinating period in its history."
Source: Deadline...
First appearing in 1931, Simenon went on to write over 75 Maigret novels which has sold close to a billion books worldwide.
The two films, entitled "Maigret Sets A Trap" and "Maigret's Dead Man," are set in 1950s Paris with the first to go into production in September. Stewart Harcourt has written the scripts.
In a statement, Rowan Atkinson says: "I have been a devourer of the Maigret novels for many years and I’m very much looking forward to playing such an intriguing character, at work in Paris during a fascinating period in its history."
Source: Deadline...
- 2/20/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Director and star Mathieu Amalric in The Blue Room: "I thought a lot of the usual suspects. A man sitting and looking, and he is not listening."
Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room (La Chambre Bleue) is based on Georges Simenon's novel. Amalric stars with Stéphanie Cléau, Léa Drucker with Serge Bozon, Mona Jaffart, Laurent Poitrenaux and Blutch in his whodunnit with a question mark for each molded part - the who, the done and especially the it.
David Lynch's Lost Highway - William Holden's death - Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner in Roger Donaldson's No Way Out form a thread. Katharine Hepburn on a ladder climbing up to Cary Grant in Howard Hawks' Bringing Up Baby, editing with François Gédigier and Bozon's voice are heard in part 2 of our conversation.
Anne-Katrin Titze: You mentioned how quickly Simenon wrote the book and you also said...
Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room (La Chambre Bleue) is based on Georges Simenon's novel. Amalric stars with Stéphanie Cléau, Léa Drucker with Serge Bozon, Mona Jaffart, Laurent Poitrenaux and Blutch in his whodunnit with a question mark for each molded part - the who, the done and especially the it.
David Lynch's Lost Highway - William Holden's death - Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner in Roger Donaldson's No Way Out form a thread. Katharine Hepburn on a ladder climbing up to Cary Grant in Howard Hawks' Bringing Up Baby, editing with François Gédigier and Bozon's voice are heard in part 2 of our conversation.
Anne-Katrin Titze: You mentioned how quickly Simenon wrote the book and you also said...
- 10/9/2014
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Blue Room director Mathieu Amalric with Anne-Katrin Titze: "What is incredible is that, yes, the bee is in [George Simenon's] novel on the belly." Photo: Charlie Olsky
Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room (La Chambre Bleue), based on Georges Simenon's novel, stars Stéphanie Cléau, Léa Drucker with Serge Bozon, Mona Jaffart, Laurent Poitrenaux and Blutch. Amalric recently starred with Emmanuelle Seigner in Roman Polanski's Venus in Fur.
The morning after the North American premiere at the New York Film Festival, we discussed Simenon's love of Stendahl, leaving a message for composer John Zorn, Katharine Hepburn on a ladder, adapting Eric Reinhardt for the stage, William Holden's death in connection to David Lynch, Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner, bees and shoes.
Léa Drucker as Delphine Gahyde
Vladimir Nabokov warned in Transparent Things "When we concentrate on a material object, whatever its situation, the very act of attention may...
Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room (La Chambre Bleue), based on Georges Simenon's novel, stars Stéphanie Cléau, Léa Drucker with Serge Bozon, Mona Jaffart, Laurent Poitrenaux and Blutch. Amalric recently starred with Emmanuelle Seigner in Roman Polanski's Venus in Fur.
The morning after the North American premiere at the New York Film Festival, we discussed Simenon's love of Stendahl, leaving a message for composer John Zorn, Katharine Hepburn on a ladder, adapting Eric Reinhardt for the stage, William Holden's death in connection to David Lynch, Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner, bees and shoes.
Léa Drucker as Delphine Gahyde
Vladimir Nabokov warned in Transparent Things "When we concentrate on a material object, whatever its situation, the very act of attention may...
- 10/1/2014
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Our coverage of The New York Film Festival continues with Jason's take on actor-director Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room.
The ordinary afternoon street-scene beyond an open window half-illuminates a hotel room, letting in a miniature horde of visitors - refracted sunlight, a honeybee, a cool breeze, the implacable face of somebody's unexpected husband - all inclined to land upon the sweat-strewn backs of the bed's entangled bodies in one way or another. In Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room the lovers inside dare this space, their nudity displayed openly, to crash down around them - the bee makes a pretty picture, the breeze cuts the sticky air, and the husband, well, he'll have his day too.
The Blue Room is based on a 1964 book by Georges Simenon, a writer who's been described by some as the French Patricia Highsmith, and much like we've come to expect from adaptations of...
The ordinary afternoon street-scene beyond an open window half-illuminates a hotel room, letting in a miniature horde of visitors - refracted sunlight, a honeybee, a cool breeze, the implacable face of somebody's unexpected husband - all inclined to land upon the sweat-strewn backs of the bed's entangled bodies in one way or another. In Mathieu Amalric's The Blue Room the lovers inside dare this space, their nudity displayed openly, to crash down around them - the bee makes a pretty picture, the breeze cuts the sticky air, and the husband, well, he'll have his day too.
The Blue Room is based on a 1964 book by Georges Simenon, a writer who's been described by some as the French Patricia Highsmith, and much like we've come to expect from adaptations of...
- 9/30/2014
- by JA
- FilmExperience
The policiers of Georges Simenon make a tempting target for screen adaptation. They are not only well-drawn but drawn in a simple, appealing style. Written quickly, they tend to feature not so much character development as character intrigue -- which could be easily mistaken for a blueprint -- and unlikely plots that, in Simenon's hands, draw you in and somehow always make sense. If you think the world is mysteriously made up of foibles and their humans, he's your man. So it must have seemed to the actor Mathieu Amalric, who directs and stars in this 2014 Cannes Un Certain Regard entry "La Chambre Bleue" (The Blue Room). It all begins simply enough: a man and a woman make love in a hotel room. She bites his lip in passion, he bleeds; a pattern has been set. Lying about it afterwards, Esther (Stephanie Cleau) asks Julien (Amalric) if he could imagine a life together.
- 9/30/2014
- by Tom Christie
- Thompson on Hollywood
Blue in the Face: Amalric’s Simenon Adaptation an Exquisite Enigma
Though actor/director Mathieu Amalric’s last directorial effort, On Tour (2010), landed him a Best Director win at the Cannes Film Festival, it never received Us distribution. Thankfully, his latest effort, an adaptation of Georges Simenon’s novel The Blue Room, won’t be subjected to the same neglect, as it’s an elegantly staged exercise of what could have easily been a straightforward nourish tale of adultery and murder. Pared down to a regal running time of barely eighty minutes, Amalric’s film is cinema of sensation, a puzzle of subtlety detailed accents and various, deliberate textures. Swift and intoxicating, by the time its final implications have been announced, what’s left is a sense of paralytic comprehension, a goading motivation for a second viewing. It’s depiction of an adulterous affair is icy, complicated, isolating, but...
Though actor/director Mathieu Amalric’s last directorial effort, On Tour (2010), landed him a Best Director win at the Cannes Film Festival, it never received Us distribution. Thankfully, his latest effort, an adaptation of Georges Simenon’s novel The Blue Room, won’t be subjected to the same neglect, as it’s an elegantly staged exercise of what could have easily been a straightforward nourish tale of adultery and murder. Pared down to a regal running time of barely eighty minutes, Amalric’s film is cinema of sensation, a puzzle of subtlety detailed accents and various, deliberate textures. Swift and intoxicating, by the time its final implications have been announced, what’s left is a sense of paralytic comprehension, a goading motivation for a second viewing. It’s depiction of an adulterous affair is icy, complicated, isolating, but...
- 9/29/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Georges Simenon "had a matchless ability to take the first narrative step, without fuss, and then to forge ahead, as though beckoned by the destiny of his characters, and that untiring purpose has proved invaluable to the movies," writes Anthony Lane in the New Yorker. "The list of his beneficiaries runs from Jean Renoir, with Night at the Crossroads, in 1932, to Béla Tarr and The Man from London, in 2007, and now we have The Blue Room, directed by Mathieu Amalric. The room in question is a bedchamber in a small provincial hotel, where Julien, played by Amalric, meets his lover, Esther (Stéphanie Cléau)—only eight times, but that is sufficient, as Simenon fans will confirm, to precipitate any man’s ruin." We've got more reviews and the trailer. » - David Hudson...
- 9/29/2014
- Keyframe
Georges Simenon "had a matchless ability to take the first narrative step, without fuss, and then to forge ahead, as though beckoned by the destiny of his characters, and that untiring purpose has proved invaluable to the movies," writes Anthony Lane in the New Yorker. "The list of his beneficiaries runs from Jean Renoir, with Night at the Crossroads, in 1932, to Béla Tarr and The Man from London, in 2007, and now we have The Blue Room, directed by Mathieu Amalric. The room in question is a bedchamber in a small provincial hotel, where Julien, played by Amalric, meets his lover, Esther (Stéphanie Cléau)—only eight times, but that is sufficient, as Simenon fans will confirm, to precipitate any man’s ruin." We've got more reviews and the trailer. » - David Hudson...
- 9/29/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
The Belgian-born Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was a literary phenomenon of the 20th century, giving Balzac a run for his money, at least in terms of output. According to Wikipedia, he wrote over 200 novels plus many shorter works. The New York Times estimates that number (including his memoirs and nonfiction works) as being between 400 and 500. Not unexpectedly then, Simenon is considered by some to be the most successful author of the 20th century, and his creation, Inspector Jules Maigret, who appeared in about 75 works, "ranks only after Sherlock Holmes as the world's best known fictional detective." (I'm not sure how Poirot feels about that.) In preparation for viewing and reviewing six of the celluloid offerings in the series Cine-Simenon: George Simenon on Film, presented by Anthology Archives with Kathy Geritz and the Pacific Film Archive, I nestled down with the textural Simenon, and within a week, I had plowed through five of his works,...
- 8/15/2013
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
The Belgian-born Georges Simenon (1903-1989) wrote over 200 novels (by Wikipedia's count) plus many shorter works. The New York Times estimates that number (including his memoirs and nonfiction works) as being between 400 and 500. Simenon's creation, Inspector Jules Maigret, who appeared in about 75 works, "ranks only after Sherlock Holmes as the world's best known fictional detective." (I'm not sure how Poirot feels about that.) Of course, such popularity could not be overlooked by the entertainment industry, and imdb.com has compiled a list of 132 movies and TV shows based on his oeuvre. And now the Anthology Archives, with Kathy Geritz and the Pacific Film Archive, is presenting 14 of these celluloid joys within the series appropriately entitled Cine-Simenon: George Simenon on Film, which runs until August 21st.
Before viewing the celluloid Simenon, I decided to nestle down with the textural Simenon, and within a week, I had plowed through five of his works,...
Before viewing the celluloid Simenon, I decided to nestle down with the textural Simenon, and within a week, I had plowed through five of his works,...
- 8/15/2013
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
What will people think when they see you reading the New York Review Books reprint of Georges Simenon's novel The Engagement on the subway? That cover photo, a voyeuristic glimpse of a woman in her underwear, in grainy black-and-white, has a way of saying: Property of Loner Creep. At the same time, could there be a better badge of urbanity than a handsome Nyrb paperback from an author at least canonical enough to be identified on the cover by last name alone?
That's Simenon for you: Various early career pseudonyms notwithstanding, there was only one of him, which seems impossible given his more than 400 books—and his reconciliation of literary respectability and pulp delight. The books tend to be invitingly slender, possible to power through in a sitting, as you...
That's Simenon for you: Various early career pseudonyms notwithstanding, there was only one of him, which seems impossible given his more than 400 books—and his reconciliation of literary respectability and pulp delight. The books tend to be invitingly slender, possible to power through in a sitting, as you...
- 8/7/2013
- Village Voice
Antonio Campos is a 29 year old filmmaker who burst onto the indie scene with Afterschool back in 2008, and was a producer on the Sundance darling Martha Marcy May Marlene. His second film, Simon Killer, is a dark, psychological thriller set in the gritty streets of modern day Paris. I had the privilege to talk to the director about his varied influences and inspiration for the film, the process of getting it made with star Brady Corbet and how he cobbled together such a fun soundtrack on a low budget.
Before we got going, Antonio Campos revealed that he was working on a PSA, and while he couldn’t divulge too many details on that, he did promote the website for the film The Red, which he’s also working on. With Simon Killer just recently hitting theaters, clearly he’s a busy man. Read on for my interview, and check...
Before we got going, Antonio Campos revealed that he was working on a PSA, and while he couldn’t divulge too many details on that, he did promote the website for the film The Red, which he’s also working on. With Simon Killer just recently hitting theaters, clearly he’s a busy man. Read on for my interview, and check...
- 4/8/2013
- by Andy Greene
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Garrow’s Law co. BBC
Kieran Kinsella
Acorn Media’s February 26 line-up begins with a value box set of the BBC’s most popular courtroom drama – Garrow’s Law. Acorn have previously released some of the 18th century barrister’s stories in the U.S. but this 6 disc set is Garrow’s Law: The Complete Collection. Aside from the twelve episodes that aired during the show’s three year run, you also get an hour of extras that includes a feature on the real life William Garrow and some behind-the-scenes footage.
The real William Garrow was something of a social reformer who did his best to defend the poor and the uneducated at a time when “justice” was often swift and harsh. Andrew Buchan (The Sinking of the Laconia) takes on the title role. He looks a little like Ross Poldark and the whole show is based in the same...
Kieran Kinsella
Acorn Media’s February 26 line-up begins with a value box set of the BBC’s most popular courtroom drama – Garrow’s Law. Acorn have previously released some of the 18th century barrister’s stories in the U.S. but this 6 disc set is Garrow’s Law: The Complete Collection. Aside from the twelve episodes that aired during the show’s three year run, you also get an hour of extras that includes a feature on the real life William Garrow and some behind-the-scenes footage.
The real William Garrow was something of a social reformer who did his best to defend the poor and the uneducated at a time when “justice” was often swift and harsh. Andrew Buchan (The Sinking of the Laconia) takes on the title role. He looks a little like Ross Poldark and the whole show is based in the same...
- 2/26/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
I guess you’re all familiar with the Stain on the Snow project, right? We already had a little chat about this project back in 2008, when we learned that Scottish helmer David Mackenzie is interested in directing an adaptation of the 1948 novel by Georges Simenon.
Today, we’re here to update the whole thing, because, according to the latest reports, Mackenzie is now attached to write and direct this adaptation!
Mackenzie’s Stain on the Snow is a dark postwar coming-of-age tale set in an unnamed country, based on Georges Simenon’s novel that follows the story “of Frank Friedmaier, a thief, pimp and murderer. He has never known his father, his mother keeps a brothel.
His mind is cold and inhospitable. But Simenon reveals the obsession with self-torture that lurks within it, and explores the intricate psychology of a young criminal, even lending the repellent Frank a chilling grandeur...
Today, we’re here to update the whole thing, because, according to the latest reports, Mackenzie is now attached to write and direct this adaptation!
Mackenzie’s Stain on the Snow is a dark postwar coming-of-age tale set in an unnamed country, based on Georges Simenon’s novel that follows the story “of Frank Friedmaier, a thief, pimp and murderer. He has never known his father, his mother keeps a brothel.
His mind is cold and inhospitable. But Simenon reveals the obsession with self-torture that lurks within it, and explores the intricate psychology of a young criminal, even lending the repellent Frank a chilling grandeur...
- 2/21/2011
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
French actor famed for his long-running role as Simenon's Maigret
Georges Simenon described his creation Jules Maigret, the gruff, pipe-smoking, Parisian police inspector, thus: "His build was plebeian. He was enormous and bony. Hard muscles stood out beneath his jacket… Above all, he had his very own way of planting himself in a spot… He was a solid block and everything had to break against it." Simenon could have been describing the French actor Bruno Crémer, who has died of cancer aged 80. Crémer, who played Maigret on French television in 54 episodes over 14 years (from 1991 to 2005), had hard acts to follow in Pierre Renoir, Jean Gabin and Jean Richard in France, but the role fitted him as perfectly as the hat and heavy overcoat he wore most of the time.
Maigret was the hero of 75 novels, 28 short stories, many films and endless TV series in numerous languages, including Japanese. In the two British series,...
Georges Simenon described his creation Jules Maigret, the gruff, pipe-smoking, Parisian police inspector, thus: "His build was plebeian. He was enormous and bony. Hard muscles stood out beneath his jacket… Above all, he had his very own way of planting himself in a spot… He was a solid block and everything had to break against it." Simenon could have been describing the French actor Bruno Crémer, who has died of cancer aged 80. Crémer, who played Maigret on French television in 54 episodes over 14 years (from 1991 to 2005), had hard acts to follow in Pierre Renoir, Jean Gabin and Jean Richard in France, but the role fitted him as perfectly as the hat and heavy overcoat he wore most of the time.
Maigret was the hero of 75 novels, 28 short stories, many films and endless TV series in numerous languages, including Japanese. In the two British series,...
- 8/25/2010
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
When Maigret met Magritte.
I'm not, in seems, the first to compare Jean Renoir's La nuit du carrefour (The Night at the Crossroads) to Carl Dreyer's Vampyr. It's an odd congruence—Renoir's film is a policier based on one of Georges Simenon's popular Maigret novels, and Dreyer's is a supernatural thriller based on a vampire yarn by the Irish writer Sheridan Le Fanu—which perhaps needs a little unpacking.
The first sense of a resemblance starts early, in the odd way in which the movie moves. This was the thirties, another country far more distant than France, and they do things differently there. The rhythms are different, the camera placement is eccentric, the movement of the camera has a cumbersome quality. While Dreyer's camera has a somnambular drift of its own, Renoir's does move with a greater sense of narrative emphasis...but what he chooses...
I'm not, in seems, the first to compare Jean Renoir's La nuit du carrefour (The Night at the Crossroads) to Carl Dreyer's Vampyr. It's an odd congruence—Renoir's film is a policier based on one of Georges Simenon's popular Maigret novels, and Dreyer's is a supernatural thriller based on a vampire yarn by the Irish writer Sheridan Le Fanu—which perhaps needs a little unpacking.
The first sense of a resemblance starts early, in the odd way in which the movie moves. This was the thirties, another country far more distant than France, and they do things differently there. The rhythms are different, the camera placement is eccentric, the movement of the camera has a cumbersome quality. While Dreyer's camera has a somnambular drift of its own, Renoir's does move with a greater sense of narrative emphasis...but what he chooses...
- 6/3/2010
- MUBI
Studs Terkel won a Pulitzer Prize for listening to other people's thoughts, fears and dreams. (Sun-Times photo by Rich Hein)
I got caught in the Indiana Jones whirlwind and allowed an important anniversary to pass unremarked: On May 16, Studs Terkel celebrated his 96th birthday. One of the great American lives continues to unfold. If I know Studs, the great day passed with calls and visits from friends, and the ceremonious imbibing of one (1) gin martini, very dry. I hope he has eliminated the daily cigar, but I'm not taking odds. If you don't know Studs, there are few people you can meet more easily in print. He is the greatest conversationalist I've met, the author of a shelf-full of books in which he engages people from all walks of life in thoughtful conversations about their own lives.
This life-work began with the best-seller Division Street: America, (1967), in which he talked to politicians and protestors,...
I got caught in the Indiana Jones whirlwind and allowed an important anniversary to pass unremarked: On May 16, Studs Terkel celebrated his 96th birthday. One of the great American lives continues to unfold. If I know Studs, the great day passed with calls and visits from friends, and the ceremonious imbibing of one (1) gin martini, very dry. I hope he has eliminated the daily cigar, but I'm not taking odds. If you don't know Studs, there are few people you can meet more easily in print. He is the greatest conversationalist I've met, the author of a shelf-full of books in which he engages people from all walks of life in thoughtful conversations about their own lives.
This life-work began with the best-seller Division Street: America, (1967), in which he talked to politicians and protestors,...
- 5/25/2008
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
- Fans of crime literature no doubt recognize the name Georges Simenon. Creator of the much-loved Inspector Maigret, the late Simenon is considered one of the greatest crime fictionalists in modern history. The oft adapted author’s work is again heading to the silver screen with Stain in the Snow, directed by Scot filmmaker David MacKenzie (Young Adam) for Studio Hamburg International. The story follows the seedy exploits of Frank Friedmaier, a disturbed young man who at nineteen is already a seasoned criminal. Fatherless with a brothel-running mother, his cold and callous nature leads him down a path of self-torture – subject matter perfectly juxtaposed against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied France. Mackenzie should be right at home with Simenon’s bleak, hard-edged style having explored similar depths in his previous films. The project has the blessing of Chorion, the executors of Simenon’s estate, and is actively involved in the scripting process along with Shi.
- 5/19/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
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