Although it's talky and overlong, even at 82 minutes, I found "Cécile est morte!" a slight improvement over its immediate predecessor, "Picpus", because the story is more engaging and it does keep you guessing what the hell is going on! (it even involves a headless corpse). In addition to the mystery, there is a sizable amount of black humor ("she was all heart, no head") and some amusing supporting characters, most notably a Lolita-like teenage girl who keeps coming on to Maigret (and other men),and who is - daringly - played by an actual 15-year-old (at the time) actress. **1/2 out of 4.

While screenwriter Jean-Paul Le Chanois' previous Maigret adaptation, 1943's "Picpus", examined the unusual intuition-based methods of Georges Simenon's famous literary commissaire, "Cecile Is Dead", his second Maigret film, finds a starting point in the consequences of his fame. As one of Paris' most successful and senior police officers, in charge of all the most sensational criminal investigations, Maigret is a darling of the press and consequently the public. "You're as famous as a movie star," says his boss (Marcel André). An unwanted side-effect of this fame, however, is that Maigret is constantly beset by all kinds of kooks and paranoids with nothing better to do than look over their shoulders at imaginary criminals just waiting to kill them.

One such kook is Cécile Pardon (Santa Relli),a spinster living with her elderly aunt (Germaine Kerjean) whom everyone at the police station believes is in love with Maigret. Every few days, she makes her regular visits to the station demanding to speak to the commissaire urgently. She is certain that someone is breaking into her apartment every night for whenever she wakes she finds her belongings moved around. But Maigret is too busy dealing with another sensational case, the beheading of a young woman, to deal with Cécile's paranoid claims and is furthermore deeply embarrassed by the endless teasing from his colleagues.

Then, one day, Cécile is found dead. Strangled and dumped in a closet in the very police station she sought solace in. Realising they were wrong about Cécile and her claims, the same inspectors who laughed at her led by Maigret himself now put all their experience and skills to work to find the ruthless killer who murdered Cécile, her aunt, and who might be the same person who decapitated the young woman.

Learning his lesson after the confusing and overstuffed "Picpus", Jean-Paul Le Chanois sticks very close to the plot of Georges Simenon's novel. The simple, yet effective narrative is clearly told in an engaging and pacy manner. Some issues inherent in many films of the era are present, such as overly talky scenes and awkward attempts at humour, but ultimately this is a well-told story.

The side is let down, however, by Maurice Tourneur's lacklustre, workaday direction. In one of the last movies he ever made, the experienced silent movie director shows little flair for atmosphere or drama. His shots are static and unimaginative and not helped by his stagy blocking. The director of "Carnival of Sinners" brings none of the expressionistic style on display in that film instead opting to make a rather visually dull and old-fashioned film. Unlike "Picpus", directed by Richard Pottier, which was clearly influenced by film noir, "Cecil Is Dead" resembles more an early talkie.

Tourneur also seems to have encouraged rather theatrical performances from his actors. This method works in some cases and fails in others. Germaine Kerjean and Yves Deniaud, for instance, give good comedic performances as the grumpy old aunt and her sleazy cousin, respectively. They are broad and farcical, but consistently funny. Not as good, however, is André Reybaz as the old woman's destitute nephew. He overacts so much and hits so many false notes he seems more like an extra from "Metropolis" than someone starring in a contemporary picture almost 20 years later. His is the kind of performance that gave silent movies a bad name. Santa Relli, on the other hand, gives an unusually subdued and realistic turn as the mocked Cécile which helps her character stand out as the only sane person in a family of caricatures.

At the centre of it all is Albert Préjean. I very much liked his performance in "Picpus" when he was allowed to play a William Holden-like charmer, a suave bruiser in the quest for justice. Now, in a film with no noirish elements, he gives a more subdued and forgettable performance. His Maigret here is more surly and less charming which consequently makes him a lot less likeable. He seems a little ill at ease in this old-fashioned movie. However, Préjean still possesses a captivating screen presence and is still fun to watch even when he seems to be holding back on the very characteristics that made him a star.

Compared with "Picpus", "Cecile Is Dead" is a less inventive and atmospheric movie but its story is significantly better told and the overall tone is much closer to Georges Simenon's original. In the end, I really did enjoy this movie, finding its story captivating, its characters well-rounded, and the performance of Santa Relli genuinely likeable. The script by Jean-Paul Le Chanois offers a new perspective on Maigret and the day-to-day workings of the police force. I just wish it had been directed with the same flair and visual inventiveness as the first movie.

Seeing a poll taking place for the best movies of 1944,I decided to view every French film from the year,that is currently available with English Subtitles. Having found Julien Duvivier's take on the character in A Man's Head (1933-also reviewed) to be superb,and the trio of titles I've seen by the film maker to be thrilling,I got set to once again meet Maigret.

View on the film:

Handling the case after making the magnificent Horror Carnival of Sinners (1943-also reviewed) auteur director Maurice Tourneur brings his grip on the macabre to the striking murder victim set-pieces, where Tourneur & Fantastic Night (1942-also reviewed) cinematographer Pierre Montazel slither towards the corpses in long slow panning shots scanning each room for the dead.

Pulling open the warnings given by Cecile, Tourneur casts a refine Film Noir atmosphere from stylish,icy close-ups on Maigret cutting through the fog of wry smirks hiding the truth behind Cecile's death.

Solving Maigret's mystery during the Occupation, the screenplay by Jean-Paul Le Chanois and Michel Duran clearly slice into the paranoia of era in the characterisation of Cecile, who goes to discuss with Maigret about what she suspects are disturbing events taking place in her household, with a sinking fear of her future murderer listening with an ear to the wall for anything she says.

Although the unmasking over-eggs the resolution, the writers keep Maigret's head-turning deductions moving at a jaunty pace,with a surprisingly grisly sting to the way the victims are killed, pressing Maigret to take a look at the concerns the now-murdered Cecile raised!

Getting dismissed by everyone,Santa Relli gives a terrific turn as Cecile,whose infectious curiosity Relli uses to have Cecile poke shadows the police turn a blind-eye towards. Investigating the role for a second time,Albert Prejean gives a wonderful turn as Maigret, whose initial casualness to concerns raised are made by Prejean to become increasingly brittle,as Maigret discovers that Cecile is dead.