Created by best-selling French crime writer Fred Vargas (nom de plume of Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau), the contemplative and melancolic Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is the main character of several books published between 1991 and 2023. This unorthodox detective is usually surrounded by a colourful team comprised of the erudite Commandant Adrien Danglard, computer expert Lieutenant Froissy, Lieutenant Voisenet (an amateur ichthyologist), Lieutenant Louis Veyrenc, Brigadier Estalère, Mordent, Mercadet, Noël and the colossal "polyvalent goddess" of the brigade: Lieutenant Violette Retancourt.
Pars vite et reviens tard (Have Mercy on Us All, 2001), the third Commissaire Adamsberg mystery, became a Régis Wargnier feature film in 2006 with José Garcia as the commissaire. In 2008, director and producer Josée Dayan (Les rois maudits, Les misérables, Le comte de Monte Cristo) launched her Collection Fred Vargas for France 2 with Sous les vents de Neptune. Author, scriptwriter and director Emmanuel Carrère penned this 2 x 90-minute adaptation of the fourth Adamsberg novel (Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand, 2004) starring Jean-Hughes Anglade (Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg), Jacques Spiesser (Magellan) as Danglard, Hélène Fillières (Camille Forestier), Myriam Boyer (Clémentine), Jeanne Moreau, Corinne Masiero (Retancourt), etc.
Sous les vents de Neptune was followed by L'homme aux cercles bleus (The Chalk Circle Man, Adamsberg #1) and L'homme à l'envers (Seeking Whom He May Devour, Adamsberg #2) in 2009 and Un lieu incertain (An Uncertain Place, Adamsberg #6) in 2010, three 90-minute made-for-TV movies. Nine years later, Jean-Hughes Anglade returned as Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg in Quand sort la recluse (1), a 2 x 90-minute television film helmed by Josée Dayan and written by Emmanuel Carrère. Published in France during Spring 2023, Sur la dalle is the tenth Adamsberg book by Fred Vargas. Filmed between February and March 2024 under the direction of Josée Dayan, the adaptation was written once again by Emmanuel Carrère. Except that this time the character is portrayed by Yvan Attal (Munich, Anthony Zimmer).
Adamsberg receives a text message from Commissaire Franck Mathieu, a colleague from Brittany whom he worked with two years ago. Mathieu tells him that Gaël, a gamekeeper, has been murdered. Despite the objections of Retancourt, Jean-Baptiste cannot resist going to the Breton village of Louviec to learn more. Danglard, Froissy and newcomer Sabine Natoutruc join Adamsberg on the case. The main suspect is a descendant and lookalike of François-René de Chateaubriand paid to promote the famous author's Château de Combourg. Soon another murder is committed and the mystery grows in an investigation involving a limping ghost, a hunchback, fleas, shadows, dead cats and a serial killer.
The choice of Yvan Attal as the new Adamsberg is rather smart. Danglard is now played by Louis-Do de Lenquesaing and Sylvie Testud returns as Froissy. Since Un lieu incertain, Corinne Masiero became the star of the hit crime drama Capitaine Marleau (2015), produced and directed by Josée Dayan. The actress leaves Sur la dalle after 30 minutes under the pretext that Retancourt doesn't like Chateaubriand. Virginie Ledoyen plays Sabine, her de facto substitute though Violette is irreplacable. The first part of Sur la dalle drowns itself in some of the dialogues. Thankfully things get better with the second part of this "new Adamsberg's case". Set in a timeless Brittany, Sur la dalle has the feel of a Midsomer Murders episode.
Comedian and actor Olivier De Benoist is Commissaire Mathieu. The great character actor Philippe du Janerand (Nikita) plays Maël. Also with Eric Caravaca (Robic), Micha Lescot (Josselin), Vincent Deniard (Johan), François Bureloup (Uranus), Riwan Belkacemi (Louis), Claire Nebout (Marie Serpentin), etc. No La Boule, the big cat who lives on the photocopier in Adamsberg's brigade, but a hedgehog ("Le hérisson") played by... Pompon. Co-produced by Passionfilms and Gaspard & Co with France Télévisions and the participation of TV5 Monde. Produced by Josée Dayan and Gaspard de Chavagnac. The superb music was composed by Reno Isaac. Cinematography by Ramin Poursaid. Editing by Yves Langlois, assisted by Florence Leconte. Distributed by France tv Distribution.
(1) Quand sort la recluse is based on the ninth Adamsberg mystery (This Poison Will Remain, 2017).
See also:
https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2019/04/collection-fred-vargas-quand-sort-la.html
