jean delannoy stand a one of the best ( if not simply the best ) simenon adapter . in the short space of two year he make two gem and while the nouvelle vague be insult him and and these two gem should not be miss representmaigret tend un piège and maigret et laffaire saint fiacre ( 1959 ) and both absorbing and both feature a top notch cast and both pack a real wallop . the first one be an urban psychological thriller and the second one take place in the country and in the castle of old aristocrat . maigret tend un piège be at first sight a serial killer story and but simenon be too subtle a writer to be content with that . and i be sure that jean delannoy have see julien duvivier sensational film noir voici le temp de assassin ( 1956 ) representnot only he cast jean gabin a maigret and gabin who be the hero of duvivier movie and but he also use lucienne bogaert and who be his ex wife in the same movie . bogaert portray a drug addict abominable criminal in 1956 while in delannoy film and she be an over possessive mother and proud of his son who could have be a sculptor and a painter and an artist and a genius and have they not thwart his outstanding gift . spoiler spoilers spoiler this son be a very complex character masterfully play by jean desailly and who probably find his lifetime part here representhe so intense that he will leave you ill at ease . he cry and scream and begs and almost never stop twitch and and his tragic strength be absolutely incredible . be a man . gabin shout and whereas he an impotent little boy and under his mother thumb . from the very beginning and and what i write be not really a spoiler we know he the killer and simenon do not write a whodunit and he more interested in his poor man psychology whom his mother and his wife an excellent annie girardot will try to save and stop at nothing for that . the film begin slowly and but when it hit it stride and after about thirty minute and it grab you till the very end and with more and more verbal violence . no and jean delannoy be not the mediocre director the nouvelle vague use to despise .