France 2 has scheduled the TV film “Sur la Dalle” for Monday, October 21, an adaptation of Fred Vargas’ latest thriller. An ambitious work with a few drawbacks…
Six years after his previous opus, Fred Vargas published in May 2023 On the slab (Flammarion), new detective novel featuring his favorite investigator, Commissioner Adamsberg. Just a few months after its release in bookstores, the novel has already been the subject of a television adaptation, which was scheduled for Monday October 21 on France 2.
The 90-minute two-part TV film is directed by Josée Dayan, a regular at adaptations of Fred Vargas’ thrillers, having already signed “Leave Quickly and Come Back Late” (2007) and “Un Lieu Incertain” (2008). In casting, it’s Yvan Attal who takes over from Jean-Hugues Anglade, dismissed in the main role of Commissioner Adamsberg, surrounded by Sylvie Testud, Virginie Ledoyen, but also a regular in Josée Dayan’s productions: a certain Corinne Masiero, the popular Captain Marleau of France 3, here in the shoes of a secondary character.
What does On the Slab say?
The plot takes us to Brittany, land of dolmens and Chateaubriand. The whimsical Parisian commissioner Adamsberg comes to lend a hand to his Breton counterpart, Franck Mathieu, in order to put an end to the actions of a mysterious serial killer. The latter seems to follow in the footsteps of a strange ghost who revives ancient local legends around Combourg, the stronghold of the writer Chateaubriand.
As usual, Adamsberg can count on his legendary flair and his extraordinary spirit of deduction, but also on his loyal team of police officers, each more eccentric than the last. Their intuitions will lead them on the trail of Josselin, a distant descendant of Chateaubriand who carries his disturbing resemblance to his illustrious ancestor like a burden.
Should you watch On the Slab on France 2?
On the slab was made available to subscribers to the France.tv platform a few days before its broadcast on the small screen. If the TV film, like its predecessors, perfectly recreates the very particular atmosphere of Fred Vargas’ novels, between thriller and fantastic tale, it nevertheless struggles to transcribe all the flavor of the original work. The rhythm sometimes turns out to be contemplative, like these countless scenes of feasting between the characters. We end up wondering if “the slab” of the title does not rather refer to the gargantuan appetite of the protagonists than to the dolmen on which Adamsberg likes to meditate, as Le Parisien pointed out in a mixed review.
It must be said that the basic material was already half-hearted. When it was released in May, the novel On the slab had received a timid, even circumspect reception from critics. If many welcomed the reunion with the mischievous pen of Fred Vargas and his favorite investigator, others regretted a plot which multiplied the detours and ultimately went a little in circles.
Nevertheless, the television adaptation by Josée Dayan is watchable. The sumptuous settings of Brittany and the impeccable casting, led by a perfect Yvan Attal as Adamsberg, allow you to forget the few lengths. Fans of Fred Vargas’ thrillers will find what they’re looking for and should appreciate this unique foray into the world of the PAF’s most atypical commissioner. For others, On the slab constitutes a nice proposition to occupy your evening, if not a great moment of television.