Maigret’s Dean Man is a detective mystery thriller directed by Jon East. It starred Rowan Atkinson as Chief Inspector Jules Maigret.

The plot follows Maigret in his search for the reason behind the murder of an unidentified man who had actually called him for help from a phone in a bar. Things get complicated when the case is linked to another case.

I was pretty surprised when I saw Rowan Atkinson’s name in the cast list, I really can’t picture him in a serious, detective film because his role as “Mr. Bean” is just so prominent. The last movie I’ve seen with him was a comedy so it’s really difficult for me to make the link. However, I must say I don’t see any trace of Mr. Bean at all throughout the whole movie.

The movie starts off with a murder in a farmhouse in Picardie. An inspector went over and discovered a survivor - a little girl who hid in the cabinet. A great but typical start for a detective film, I’d say.

However, the murder was brushed aside quickly and Maigret and his dead man took center stage.

Although Rowan Atkinson did successfully shake Mr. Bean off in this one, I feel that he didn’t really do a good job for his role. Maigret seems rather serious and pretty much “pokerfaced” in most of the scenes. I don’t know if it’s the writing or his portrayal but I don’t find myself really feeling much or attracted to his character most of the time. I guess the character just doesn’t stand out as much as the suspense.
However, there are some exceptions whereby I think Rowan Atkinson did managed to create that link and make you feel his emotions - Like the one he was mocking the killer and the last few scenes whereby he talked to the victim’s wife. I think it’s one of the most emotionally moving scenes in the whole film, but sadly wasn’t mainly because of Atkinson’s performance but that of the actress playing the victim’s wife.

While I do enjoy this film, I don’t think it is good enough to be a “must-watch” nor will I feel excited to talk about it to my friends. The cinematography, editing, sound and plot are all pretty good; however something just seems to be missing to make it stand out.