THE CHALK CIRCLE MAN/ L’HOMME AUX CERCLES BLEUS

France, 2009, 87 minutes, Colour.
Jean- Hughes Anglade, Charlotte Rampling, Jacques Spiesser, Jean- Pierre Leaud, Stanislas Merhar. Helene Fillieres. Corrine Masiero.
Directed by Josee Dayan.

French television made a series of murder mysteries based on stories by Fred Vargas, the Fred Vargas Collection. This is the second film in the series.
At the centre of the series is a sympathetic police officer, Detective, Jean- Baptiste Adamsberg, played by Jean- Hughes Anglade. His assistant, Danglard, is played by Jacques Spiesser. They are in each episode.

There is some background to the life of the detective, especially his past relationship with a musician and his living with these memories.

A photographer is introduced. She has a sharp and direct manner and is played by Charlotte Rampling. In recent years she has gone to photography sites but without film in the camera because of a scandal that she was involved in earlier. She encounters a blind man in a restaurant – and a link with the scandal. She offers him an apartment, introduces him to her assistant, an elderly lady from the provinces who spends a lot of time talking about and arranging dates and meeting men.

There is a strange character who draws circles in the Paris streets and puts objects in the centre. Eventually, there are three murders. Mathilde helps Inspector and Danglard in their investigations and their theories – Danglard having some children at home who are experts in crime and are forthright in giving their opinions and interpretations.

The other central character is a professor whose wife is killed (Jean- Pierre Leaud). As it turns out, through some strange twists in the plot, that he is the killer, framing the murderer’s wife with other murders.

Charlotte Rampling was to appear in another of the episodes. All were directed by Josee Dayan.

1. Murder mystery and investigation? Part of a series for television? The Paris settings, the police and the investigation?

2. Paris by night, by day, police precincts, apartments, restaurants, the variety of murder scenes in the streets? The musical score?

3. The inspector as the hero, his work with the police, detection, his personality?

4. The situation, the circles, the objects in the centre of the circles, dead animals, toys? Fears for humans to be found? In fact?

5. The inspector, his character, his memories of his relationship with the musician, her absence? His work, a man of ideas, assisted by Danglard? The staff, the detectives, the female police? The sites and the visits? The encounter with Mathilde, their discussions, sharing ideas?

6. Mathilde, following the man, mysterious, cloaked, his waving to her? The background of her career, photography, the scandal of the affair, the lover murdering his wife? Photo opportunities but no film in the camera? Her manner, in the cafe, the blind man and her talking with him? Interested, the search for him, her offering him the apartment? The discussions, the truth about his identity and his parents?

7. The range of suspects, Mathilde herself, the blind man?

8. The murders, the woman, the speculation about her background, the man and his past relationship with Mathilde’s assistant? The wife of the scholar?

9. The secretary, the story about her dates, her past, rejection? The revelation that she had been murdered and impersonated?

10. The scholar, his manner, his house, his expertise, the visits, the discussions with the inspector, his assistant? His wife, her death? Her writing his papers?

11. The inspector and Dan, making the connections, the identity of the killer, the scholar and his behaviour?

12. The scenes with Danglard, the children, their knowledge about crimes, their opinions?

13. The confrontation with the scholar, his arrest?

14. Mathilde, her daughter and the music tour, her returning home, the connection between Mathilde and the inspector through her daughter?