Maigret Crossroads ITV - WordPress.com...3 !!!!...
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MAIGRET
Transcript of Maigret Crossroads ITV - WordPress.com...3 !!!!...
MAIGRET
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MAIGRET’S NIGHT AT THE CROSSROADS
Contents Press Release ....................................................................................................... Pages 3-‐4
Interview with Rowan Atkinson (Maigret) .......................................................... Pages 5-‐8
Interview with John Simenon (Executive Producer) .......................................... Pages 9-‐11
Synopses ............................................................................................................... Pages 12
Cast and Production Credits ................................................................................... Page 13
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Maigret’s Night At The Crossroads is the first of two new dramatic films in the Maigret series, featuring the legendary French fictional detective Jules Maigret, played by the globally-‐renowned actor Rowan Atkinson. Night At The Crossroads adapted from the novel by Georges Simenon is a complex tale of murder, deceit and greed in an isolated country community. Maigret has been interrogating a mysterious Dane, Carl Andersen, for hours without a confession. Why was the body of a diamond merchant found in his car at his isolated mansion? He's either innocent or a very good liar. What does his beautiful but vulnerable sister know? And what compels everyone at the Three Widows Crossroads to be so secretive? Maigret sets out to find his killer. Maigret’s Night At The Crossroads is adapted by Stewart Harcourt and features Aiden McCardle (Mr Selfridge, The Mill), Shaun Dingwall (Silent Witness, Death In Paradise), Lucy Cohu (Broadchurch) and Leo Starr (Call The Midwife, Lewis). Further cast includes Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean), Tom Wlaschiha (Game of Thrones), Mia Jexen (Dual), Stephen Wight (The Paradise), Mark Heap (Friday Night Dinner) and Robin Weaver (Inbetweeners).
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Set in the stunning backdrop of 1950’s Paris, Night At The Crossroads and the second new stand-‐alone film Maigret in Montmartre were filmed in Budapest. Maigret in Montmartre will transmit on ITV later in the year. Maigret is produced by Fragile Films and Maigret Productions Limited. The new films have been commissioned for ITV by Senior Drama Commissioner, Victoria Fea. The Executive Producers are Barnaby Thompson (Easy Virtue, Dorian Gray, St. Trinians) for Fragile Films, John Simenon for Maigret Productions Limited, Stewart Harcourt and Jeremy Gwilt (Undeniable, Foyle’s War, Torn, Home Fires) who produced the first two Maigret films – Maigret Sets a Trap and Maigret’s Dead Man. Jeremy Gwilt also produced the new films. The formidable character of Jules Maigret first appeared in print in 1931. Georges Simenon, who wrote 75 Maigret novels, is considered one of the greatest writers of the 20th century – selling around a billion books worldwide to date.
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ROWAN ATKINSON IS CHIEF INSPECTOR JULES MAIGRET
Q: What were your thoughts about the reaction to the first two Maigret films and then returning to the role?
“I know very little , unfortunately, about the viewers’ reactions because I tend not to read reviews. You just get a vibe from what people say to you in shops and things. Or what people don’t say to you. And the vibe seemed to be generally a positive one. So that’s good.
“He has come on quite a bit since the first and second film. The third film, Night At The Crossroads, is different again. Helped, I think, by the story. The story of Night At The Crossroads is richer.
“Like Poirot and many detective stories like it, you rely very much on the strength of the supporting cast and the guest cast. That was certainly what we enjoyed hugely in the previous films with David Dawson, Fiona Shaw and people like that.
“And then in this one with Kevin McNally as Inspector Louis Grandjean, Danish actress Mia Jexen as Else and German actor Tom Wlaschiha, who plays Carl Andersen. They were all absolutely excellent.
“All these things help and it doesn’t half improve your own performance when you’re acting with a very good performance from somebody else.”
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Q: So you are learning more about Maigret all of the time?
“Yes, you do. And you can’t really put your finger on what you’re learning. You’re just settling into it. The old cliche is finding your feet, finding the road. Rather than meandering off into the undergrowth. It’s almost the muddiness of the character which brings the clarity.
“You don’t want a character who is just the same all the time. It’s a matter of exploring how he is in this kind of situation, how he is in that kind of situation. How is he when he’s angry? When’s he’s interested? When he’s intrigued? You’re trying to find the 360 degrees of a character.
“You can come up with a caricature in a relatively short space of time. But if you want a character, that takes longer.
“I’m very aware even of how, say, the Blackadder character developed over a period of years. I think by the end he was more interesting. Although, of course, he went through many different periods. But nevertheless it was a better focused thing after the fourth series than it was in the first series.
“Even Mr Bean -‐ we’re doing these animated cartoon versions of Mr Bean that I do the voice and the noises for, and I’m so aware, actually, how much more developed the character is now than when we first started doing him on television 25 years ago. All characters for me are a voyage of discovery.”
Q: There is a sadness about Maigret when we meet him again. Why?
“Maigret is at the funeral of an old colleague who died, forgotten by those who once loved him. It makes him think about the lot of a police officer. The officer who died was a drinker who drank himself to death. He had separated from his wife, his whole life had collapsed and he died alone.
“Maybe that’s not unknown in this day and age but I’m sure it was a relatively common thing in Paris in 1955. It’s very sobering for Maigret. Like anyone who has the same job as the person who has died, you think, ‘Could that be me?’
“Maigret is very reassured, as he always is, by his home life. Which is rooted in tragedy. It was stated in the first film how he and his wife lost a child in infancy. So they are childless but they are very close and rely very much on each other.
“He finds his home life a great comfort and a very important balance to his professional life, which in those days was pretty challenging and rough. Dealing with the underworld of 1955 in Paris only 10 years after the end of the war, a city full of guns, full of corruption, suspicion and distrust. Who collaborated with the Nazis and who didn’t?
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“All of that was still rumbling on in 1955. So it’s a rather dark underbelly of the city. At the same time, the other side of mid-‐50s’ Paris was in American eyes the glamorous romance capital of the world. To the outside world there was that lovely gloss to it. But Maigret is dealing with the polar opposite end of it.”
Q: How does Maigret react to Else’s (Mia Jexen) sensuality?
“Else has influenced, not always to the good, an awful lot of men. She is clearly someone who is a damaged but attractive individual. Else is very glamorous and seductive, using her femininity to her own ends. There is no doubt Maigret feels himself being drawn to her. It’s an interesting dilemma for him because we haven’t seen that before. The degree to which, in the end, Maigret is human. He’s human and he’s male.”
Q: How would you describe the feel of Night At The Crossroads?
“The location is very interesting. The crossroads in the middle of nowhere, through which fruit trucks pass going into the markets of Paris in the early morning. And they stop at this isolated crossroads on the way. At the crossroads there are just three dwellings -‐ the garage, the Michonnet house and then the Andersen house.
“It’s quite a way out of Maigret’s patch because it’s not Paris. It’s a good 20 or 30 miles outside town. But he decides to take it on because the local cop Grandjean, played by Kevin McNally, is an old colleague and Maigret decides to take an interest. It’s a very complex web of villainy all rooted in this crossroads.”
Q: Madame Maigret (Lucy Cohu) tells her husband she fears he may one day not return from work. It’s sometimes forgotten that families of police officers still feel that to this very day?
“Maigret’s wife brings it home. People often don’t think about the police in that way. If someone tells you they’re going to be a soldier, you think, ‘Oh my God, you could die.’ Whereas people tend not to think that about police officers. Which is not the case.
“Police officers are on the front line. Fewer of them may be killed than soldiers. But there is a ‘war’ going on with which the police are involved every day of their lives. I think it is something you forget. It’s easy to remember with soldiers and it’s easy to forget with police officers.”
Q: Can you recall a time in your career when you reached a crossroads and had to make a big decision about which direction to go in?
“When I was first starting out I did a half hour pilot for ITV, for London Weekend Television, of my own, which was me playing three different characters. It was what you might call ‘The Rowan Atkinson Show.’ I had just done that when I was offered a part in the sketch show Not The Nine O’Clock News that was happening at the BBC. What was then referred to as ‘the other side’.
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“I remember having to make a decision. Whether to do my own show at the very tender age of 24 or whether to go in with a team of people, Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones and everyone with the BBC. I spoke to John Howard Davies, the Head of Comedy for the BBC at the time, who became a good friend and actually produced the first six Mr Bean episodes when we eventually did them for ITV. ‘Follow your instinct,’ was his only advice.
“And my instinct was to play safe and go with the team of people. Which is what I did. So that was definitely a crossroads moment. Left or right. I’m not sure which is left and which is right between BBC and ITV. But whichever it was I went for the BBC. But then, ironically of course, many years later Mr Bean was an ITV product and so is Maigret.”
Q: Are there any unexpected side roads you have explored in terms of an interest or hobby?
“Cars have always been my thing. Motor cars and motor racing are my hobbies and interest and they remain so to this day. I’m glad I’ve always had that as an interest because it is pleasingly distracting, let’s say, and quite different to the business we call show.
“It is quite a different mental and physical activity. And, of course, quite often I’ve been able to incorporate the interest in shows. Mr Bean’s car antics and what have you. And Johnny English car antics.
“But generally speaking I’m pleased I have had a hobby. A surprising number of people, actually, within my acquaintance don’t have hobbies. I always find that odd. Or at least I’m not aware of them. Their job, their existence is their hobby. And I’m pleased I’ve always had something to take me far away from my job.”
Q: You have also filmed Maigret in Montmartre. Can you give us a glimpse into that story?
“All of the stories have been expanded somewhat for the screen by Stewart Harcourt. Because Maigret novels are rather slim volumes, literally and figuratively.
“Maigret In Montmartre revolves around a woman again. Which was very much Georges Simenon’s infatuation. I suspect he was depicting a fantasy woman of his own in this story. That’s my feeling. She has a very startling effect on a wide range of men. And it’s got her into a lot of trouble. It all feeds into the great seediness of the time and of the place. And of this nightclub in particular, Le Picratt.”
Q: Are you keen to make more Maigret films?
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating. All I would ask is that people watch them and make their own mind up. I think they’ve got a lot of appealing qualities. And I like the world we’ve depicted. Virtually every shot in every location has an atmosphere which I think is unique. It’s enabled us to present a world that I hope people want to be part of. And people want to see.”
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JOHN SIMENON -‐ EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Q: How did you feel about the reaction to the first two Maigret films?
“I was extremely pleased about the reaction, especially in the UK and France. In the UK most people were discovering a new character because the last time they had an opportunity to see a Maigret on TV was more than 20 years ago with Michael Gambon.
“My concern was not a comparison between the two, but one between Rowan Atkinson and Mr Bean. The reaction was very positive and the public mostly recognised Rowan for what he is: A great Maigret.
“In France the situation was different. Bruno Cremer, the last French actor to play Maigret, is still showing every night on French TV right. I was concerned, therefore, about a possible negative comparison with Cremer with the possible additional prejudice that the English would not know how to treat a local legend.
“But, in fact, it was the exact opposite. Most reactions were: ‘Now let’s roll up our sleeves and do as well. When are we going to be as good with Sherlock Holmes as the Brits were with Maigret?’
“And I would expect the reactions to Maigret to even improve even further because as we move along we get better. And Rowan feels more and more familiar with the role..”
Q: As executive producer and a Maigret expert, is that progression visible as you film?
“Yes I can see how Rowan thinks between takes about a particular expression or gesture, and how it’s slowly becoming second nature to him. I definitely can feel that. And I’m sure Rowan feels more comfortable. Which means we can continue to explore the character further and further. We can dig and dig deeper. That’s also happening with the script writers as well.”
Q: Why were Night At The Crossroads and Maigret In Montmartre chosen as the next two stories?
“We all felt familiar and comfortable with these two. Also we want to vary the storylines and go into different settings, atmospheres and plots. Night At The Crossroads is mainly set outside of Paris and allowed us to treat this isolated place as a character of its own with its very specific atmosphere of the French countryside.”
Q: How would you describe Night At The Crossroads?
“If you go back into the 50s, a distance of 30 kilometres away from Paris you were the middle of nowhere. Now it’s the suburbs. After the war I won’t say such a place was exactly a jungle but all sorts of things were taking place that city people were
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not very much aware of. There was less law and order than what we would think today. And that reminded the writer a bit of the Far West of the late 1800s.
“It’s also one of my father’s novels that are structured around two people pitted against each other, both striving to outwit the other. There is quite an intense relationship between Maigret and Else (Mia Jexen), a very attractive woman trying to charm Maigret, who is not entirely insensitive to that.”
Q: Why does the death of a colleague have such an impact on Maigret in Night At The Crossroads?
“One of the things the production team is trying to do with these adaptations is to make more visible some of the background which is not always evident in the books but can be read in between the lines. For example Maigret feels responsible for the city and for his colleagues.
Q: Madame Maigret tells her husband she fears he may one day not return from work. That is something families of police officers have to live with -‐ both then and now?
“It was always true. And it’s also true today. Here again, it is an opportunity to bring forward some less obvious relationships from the novels, and, this is the kind of thing we will be adding more and more as we progress in the adaptations.”
Q: One character says Maigret should have been a priest. Do you think he would have made a good priest?
“I think he would have made a very good psychologist. He is very good at understanding, and there is a pervasive non religious notion of redemption in my father’s work. But I think Maigret enjoyed some earthy aspects of life too much to have been a good priest. At least in the way priests tended to be though of at the time.
“Originally Maigret’s intent was to become a doctor but he dropped out to become a cop. But after all, looking at and trying to understand the human condition is the vocation of doctors, priests and police detectives.”
Q: Were weather conditions challenging in Budapest during filming?
“It was amazingly cold when we were filming the second film, Maigret In Montmartre. It was minus 20 on some days. That was very difficult for the crew to deal with. Cold slows down everything. But you don’t get more weeks of shooting because it’s cold..
“In fact there was one day when our producer Jeremy Gwilt sent us a photo of the Danube which was entirely frozen. The good thing is they didn’t have the snow storms that blew further east.
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Q: You also filmed a sequence in a railway station. Where was that?
“That was one of the railway stations in Budapest. It’s not the biggest one but it is still in operation. It’s quite amazing to see how similar its architecture is to a typical Parisian railway station. And the more I discover Budapest the more I realise how much some places really looks a lot like Paris in the mid-‐20th century.”
Q: How have the new films impacted on Maigret book sales in the UK?
“There has been a definite impact. There was a significant jump in the sales of all Maigret books after the screenings of the first two films. That was very rewarding.”
Q: You encountered Maigret at 30,000 feet. What were the circumstances?
“Late last year I was flying back from New York to Switzerland when I pushed the inflight entertainment button, which I rarely do, and Rowan just popped up on the screen! A nice sign…
Q: How big are your archives?
“I’ve probably got about 8,000 books, up to 15,000 letters, as well as hundreds of newspapers and magazines, and all sorts of paraphernalia. It is quite extensive. I have almost every publications in book form and in newspaper form for all the big countries -‐ the United States, England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. With more than 250 titles in each country, that’s a lot.
“And I just discovered yesterday a letter from my father to Dorothy L. Sayers, thanking her for inviting him to be a member of the Detection Club. That’s a nice nod to the English public.”
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SYNOPSES
MAIGRET’S NIGHT AT THE CROSSROADS
Georges Simenon's Night At The Crossroads is a complex tale of murder, deceit and greed in an isolated country community. Maigret has been interrogating a mysterious Dane, Carl Andersen, for hours without a confession. Why was the body of a diamond merchant found in his car at his isolated mansion? He's either innocent or a very good liar. What does his beautiful but vulnerable sister know? And what compels everyone at the Three Widows Crossroads to be so secretive? Maigret sets out to find his killer which ultimately leads to a thrilling climax.
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Cast for Maigret’s Night At The Crossroads
Maigret ..................................................................................................... Rowan Atkinson Madame Maigret ................................................................................................ Lucy Cohu Janvier ......................................................................................................... Shaun Dingwall Lapointe ................................................................................................................ Leo Staar Judge Comeliau .......................................................................................... Aiden McCardle Grandjean ..................................................................................................... Kevin McNally Andersen .................................................................................................... Tom Wlaschiha Else ..................................................................................................................... Mia Jexen Thierry Bertinet ........................................................................................... Stephen Wight Moers ................................................................................................................ Mark Heap Lognon ............................................................................................................... Colin Mace Madame Michonnet ..................................................................................... Robin Weaver
Production Credits Executive Producer/Producer ......................................................................... Jeremy Gwilt Executive Producer ....................................................................................... John Simenon Executive Producer .............................................................................. Barnaby Thompson Executive Producer/Writer ...................................................................... Stewart Harcourt Director ......................................................................................................... Sarah Harding Production Designer ................................................................................... Dominc Hyman Costume Designer ...................................................................................... Lucinda Wright Casting Director .................................................................................................... Julia Duff Composer .............................................................................................................. Sam Sim
