Iain-215 Reviews

Marple: Endless Night (2013) Season 6, Episode 3

Didn't need Marple! SPOILERS!!

[6/10 · 6 January 2014]

I didn't hate this adaptation of 'Endless Night'. It was fairly well cast - although I wasn't crazy about Tom Hughes in the lead part of Michael - and it looked good. I was delighted that the house was as strikingly modern as it is in the book although I wish they had left Mike's friend with his book name - Santonix is so memorable! During the scenes set in the house, I almost forgot we were in 50s Marple-land. The basic plot was pretty faithful to the book and it was an interesting decision (and a good one) to stick to Michael as narrator. Some of the cast were wasted - Tamzin Outhwaite was terrific as Michael's mother so why not give her another scene? There was also, arguably, too much going on. I know it was in the book but I really felt they didn't need Claudia's death - we barely knew her and it was one too many!

The big problem though is that in order to adapt this novel, it was necessary to do so under the Marple name and that means shoe-horning in the old lady herself and this was really very badly done. Other reviews have already mentioned the flaws...too many co-incidental meetings with Michael, too much familiarity too quickly. As the events unfold over quite a long time frame, why was she still staying with her ever-less-recently widowed friend (who frankly never seemed to need her support in the first place - Wendy Craig seemed quite pleased to be rid of hubby). I also agree that the denouement was rather ridiculous. Old Jane Marple can apparently run at quite a lick as she managed to get back to the folly before the young antagonist who was also far more familiar with route!

Apart from Marple's involvement, the whole thing unravelled quite badly at the end. We were never given a really good explanation for why our boy turned out so bad or why he killed Greta. In the book, Michael discovered that he had really come to love Ellie and regretted what he had done - it unhinged him and it also made him see Greta for what she really was. That never happened here and so it made her death nonsensical. So, all in all not the best attempt at writing Miss M into a non Marple story but there have been worse...'Sittaford' and 'Evans' spring to mind!

Poirot: The Clocks (2009) Season 12, Episode 4

Unexpectedly good

[9/10 · 3 November 2013]

Adapted by Stewart Harcourt from a late Poirot novel (and not one of Christie's best) 'The Clocks' turned out to be unexpectedly good. Harcourt gives the whole thing a 'pre war spy thriller' twist and the whole thing moves at a brisk but never confusing pace. The seaside setting of Dover made a nice change and the casting was generally very good indeed.

Tom Burke is engaging as Poirot's sidekick Lt Race and I very much enjoyed Phil Daniels as Insp Hardcastle - a perfect counterpoint to Poirot. Anna Massey and Jaime Winstone are excellent in the largest supporting roles but I also loved Lesley Sharp as a glacial, ne'er do well Miss Martindale, Frances Barber (always terrific) as the strident Merlina Rival and (probably best of all) Beatie Edney as the eccentric 'catwoman' Mrs Hemmings.

I really enjoyed this production and hats off to Harcourt and his team for turning one of Christie's weaker plots into something really good!

Poirot: Dead Man's Folly (2013) Season 13, Episode 3

Among the rhododendrons...

[8/10 · 3 November 2013]

On the whole, I enjoyed this adaptation by Nick Dear of one of Christie's later Poirot novels. It was pretty faithful to the book and decently cast. It was beautifully shot as always and attention to period detail was superb. It was also a very nice idea to shoot at Christie's home, Greenway (now owned by the National Trust) as it was the original model for Nasse House. Greenway is famous for its rhododendrons and, my goodness, we spent a lot of time with them! The various characters, and especially Poirot, spent a lot of time wandering in the grounds.

There is an earlier film of this novel with Peter Ustinov. It is not perfect either (too much silly humour and a terrible Hastings from Jonathan Cecil) but I kept comparing the two and, marginally, preferring the Ustinov version. This new version is just a little dry and a little bland - there is never any blood in its veins. I think this may have something to do with the very limited running time which means that characters have no time to develop and remain very two (sometimes one) dimensional throughout. Personally I would have cut the Warburton characters and given their time to the Legges and Michael Weyman. I may also have kept in Marlene's family in order to flesh out two of the victims - but at least they retained (just) her sister to impart some important information.

The cast did a decent job and I particularly liked Rebecca Front, who did not make Amanda Brewis as ridiculous as I feared she might. Sinead Cusack was pretty good in the pivotal role of Mrs Folliat but I do much prefer Constance Cummings in the Ustinov version, likewise Tim Piggot-Smith over Sean Pertwee as Sir George. I thought Stephanie Leonidas was pretty poor as Hattie. As for Zoe Wanamaker, I personally thought this the weakest of her Mrs Oliver interpretations so far. She seemed to be 'phoning in' her performance and her voice was so low and gruff I often had problems making out what she was saying! So overall, I enjoyed it but not as much as I had hoped to - and this was the episode I was most looking forward to this season!

Poirot: The Big Four (2013) Season 13, Episode 2

Fairly light stuff...

[6/10 · 3 November 2013]

I have to start by saying that 'The Big Four' is the only Poirot novel that I have never read so I had nothing to compare this adaptation to. The big and much anticipated event here, of course, was the reunion of old cast members from the pre 'Five Little Pigs' days. Personally I was never a huge fan of the 'old team' anyway so this aspect of the show had less impact for me than it might have for others. Even so, it did seem that Hastings and Miss Lemon in particular were poorly served by the script and just along for the ride. I assume that Hastings was being saved for bigger things in 'Curtain'.

The story itself, as adapted by Mark Gatiss, was light and rather silly. I laughed out loud at such things as the electrified chess table - and THAT was an original Christie invention! As for the cast, Simon Lowe seems destined to play ratty, sly characters and this one was as good as any others he's done and Patricia Hodge was good as always. The final denouement was fairly ridiculous (that 'gelsomine' is amazing stuff!!) but I suspect Gatiss just decided to have a bit of fun with this to contrast with the more serious entries this season.

Poirot: Hallowe'en Party (2010) Season 12, Episode 2

Good adaptation of a tricky novel

[9/10 · 25 May 2013]

'Halloween Party' is one of the later Christie novels that I really enjoy whilst still acknowledging its many faults. In many ways the mystery itself is unsatisfying, unconvincing and (at the end) hopelessly melodramatic BUT it does contain some of Christie's most fascinating characters and the initial idea of murder at a children's party (and of a child at that) is almost shocking in its boldness.

Writer Mark Gatiss has produced another superb Christie adaptation here - staying pretty faithful to the source material but also improving it where necessary. The atmosphere is superb - at the party, in the village and in the beautiful but eerie gardens that play such a large role in the plot. As always, period details and costumes are fantastic. As well as David Suchet's definitive Poirot, we also see the return of Zoe Wanamaker's equally definitive Ariadne Oliver - thank goodness there are still two of her stories still to film! The rest of the cast are pretty much bang on character. I was very impressed with Deborah Findlay in the important role of Mrs Drake and I am always pleasantly surprised at how good Julian Rhind-Tutt is in a (fairly) serious role. Amelia Bulmore is good in the central (if slightly dull) role of Judith and they did amazingly well with the casting of Mary Higgins as a suitably ethereal and innocent (yet old for her years) Miranda. I also very much liked Fenella Woolgar as a deeply sympathetic Miss Whittaker.

This was the highlight of season 12 of Poirot for me and one I have watched several times.

Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express (2010) Season 12, Episode 3

Worth a second viewing

[6/10 · 7 February 2012]

It was always going to be difficult for the new version of this iconic Christie mystery to outshine the classic 1974 star-studded movie by Sidney Lumet. Of course the 'Poirot' production team have a trump card in David Suchet as the now definitive Poirot and as expected, this new 'Orient Express' looks wonderfully stylish and atmospheric. I first watched it at Christmas in 2010 and remember being terribly disappointed. The main problem then was that I felt the whole thing was very rushed and that there was no time to get to know the passengers (even the most important ones).

I recently re-watched the DVD version and whilst I still think that one and a half hours just isn't enough time to do justice to this tale, I did enjoy it much more than the first time. I cannot swear to this but it did seem to me that the DVD offered a slightly extended version as there were scenes that I really did not remember from the initial viewing. A truly international cast has been assembled and that in itself is enjoyable. Standout performances from this second viewing were Eileen Atkins as a very strong Princess Dragomiroff (really taking over from Mrs Hubbard as the main voice), Jessica Chastain as a likable though strong Mary Debenham and Hugh Bonneville as Masterman.

As for the whole religious thing...well, its hardly surprising to find that Poirot is a Catholic. What is surprising in this film is the fervour of his belief which has never been much in evidence before. I do feel that this was over-emphasised in this film simply because the producer had decided to make a dark tale on justice, retribution, the law and religious belief. In a 'Behind the Scenes' interview on the DVD, there is a degree of scoffing that the 1974 film was too 'light', too 'fun' and too inconsequential. The producer claims that in this version they have gone back to the book which (again he claims) is a much darker, more serious affair. I have read the book recently and I do not see this intense darkness and seriousness. There is in fact quite a lot of humour within its pages and Poirot himself is never the severe, grim, religious fanatic portrayed in the film.

So, to sum up, on a second viewing I really quite enjoyed this new 'Orient Express' for what it was. The cast a pretty good and one or two are exceptional. It looks wonderful as always and production values are excellent. Suchet himself is always a good Poirot but he is just a little too dark and unyielding here for my liking. The classic 1974 film oozes elegance and style and is still my favourite version. Such a pity that Suchet was not the definitive Poirot then, for Albert Finney's portrayal of the Belgian sleuth is really its only fault!

Alice in Wonderland (I) (2010)

Looks good but ultimately disappointing

[5/10 · 21 March 2010]

What's sad about Tim Burton's 'Alice In Wonderland' is that there is nothing new or original about it. Apparently Burton felt 'no connection' to the original stories and was uninterested in filming a new take on them. What we have then, are Carrol's characters uprooted and re-written into a new story by Linda Woolverton but its a story that has been done many, many times before and is therefore utterly predictable and bland. It seems that Hollywood must have a formula now for fantasy epic-type films and this new 'Alice' duly ticks all the boxes.

So, we find Alice on a quest involving a (fairly weak) moral dilemma, all the characters and places have to have fussy Tolkeinesque names (including an evil sounding double-barrelled place name for the Red Queen's realm), most of same characters are now irredeemably cute to fit in with modern pre-conceptions (sword-wielding dormouse a-la Narnia, doe-eyed heroic CGI dog a-la all the other doe-eyed heroic CGI dogs in recent CGI movies) and (of course) a giant climactic battle between good and evil! Its all a bit disappointing.

The story is pretty uninvolving. There's an attempt to make us 'feel' for Alice's friends (and when were these creatures ever her friends anyway? None of them are especially friendly in the books) but as none of them have any real substance, its virtually impossible to feel for them. The Mad Hatter has an important role (of course he has - he's Johnny Depp) and I suspect that we are supposed to 'feel' for him but pathos and the Hatter don't really go together and he ends up being just rather creepy. Alice goes on a couple of times about 'needing the help' of her 'friend' the Blue Caterpillar but in the event, he doesn't contribute very much. There is much talk about how Alice is changing as the story goes on but she's actually pretty much the same at the end as she was at the start - did we ever believe she was going to marry the foppish redhead? I am forty three and have no children so I'm not best placed to say whether it succeeds as a children's film but there were quite a lot of children in the audience at the screening I attended and scarcely a chuckle from any of them. In my opinion, this is where the film fails the source material - it has very little charm and very little humour; it is ALL about the visuals which brings me to...

PLUS POINTS - It looks fantastic! Most of the creatures look good. I particularly liked the Cheshire Cat (steals the film) and frog and fish footmen. Apart from the initial garden scene, the landscape of Underland is a little dull and uninspiring. The White Queen's realm is pretty but in a rather forced, Rivendell kind of way whilst the evil Red Queen goes for a more 'Dead Marshes-faces-in-the-water' kind of look BUT it is all well rendered and very impressive. Some of the acting is very good - Helena Bonham-Carter was the only one who made me laugh a couple of times, Ann Hathaway seems to want to play the evil one and hints at it throughout her otherwise Glinda-like performance and Depp is impressive if not ultimately successful (hated the intermittent Scottish accent - were we referencing Braveheart?). A few scenes worked for me - most involving the Red Queen and the start of the tea party scene which threatened to be almost conventional, and therefore genuinely amusing and charming, Alice! Otherwise, it was all a bit of a mess. The formulaic fantasy-epic film has been done much better elsewhere if that's what you're looking for and if you're looking for a good film of 'Alice In Wonderland', there's a decent one kicking about somewhere with Miranda Richardson as the Queen of Hearts and Martin Short as a genuinely batty Hatter!

Poirot: Three Act Tragedy (2010) Season 12, Episode 1

A decent first outing for Season 12

[8/10 · 17 January 2010]

'Three Act Tragedy' is quite an early Poirot novel and one of Christie's most artificial in that it (and its characters) are set out in the tradition of a theatrical entertainment and two of the lead characters are actors. To be honest, in my opinion its not one of her best. The cast of suspects are mostly two (or even one) dimensional and the motive for two of the murders are very difficult to swallow. Still, it has its bright points and one of these is humour, particularly in the leading character of Sir Charles Cartwright - very much an Actor who plays various roles in 'real life' and tires quickly of them whether its as a sailor or a detective.

This new adaptation of the novel from the established 'Suchet as Poirot' stable retains much of this humour and I was very impressed with Martin Shaw's assumption of the role of Sir Charles. Here he is a friend of Poirots (the character of Mr Satterthwaite having been cut) who is personally involved from the outset. The production goes in for a few 'thirties touches' such as whirling newspapers and racing train journeys but I didn't mind them and felt they added appropriately to the atmosphere. The story was generally very faithful, it looked wonderful as always and was well acted on the whole. I particularly enjoyed Kimberley Nixon as Egg and Kate Ashfield who was quite perfect as the perceptive Miss Wills. It was a pity that such performers as Anna Carteret and Jane Asher didn't get more to do, as what they DID do was very good but then their roles in the book are very small.

I enjoyed this and hopefully it bodes well for the new season of Poirot.

Marple: They Do It with Mirrors (2009) Season 4, Episode 3

Decent, generally faithful production

[7/10 · 1 January 2010]

This is the third screen adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's weaker Miss Marple novels. Julia McKenzie is the wily old sleuth this time and I find that I am warming to her interpretation. She is a much more serious Marple than her predecessor Geraldine McEwan but with more warmth than the excellent but slightly chilly Joan Hickson. Here is a Miss Marple with a great deal of quiet intelligence, shrewd and capable - I like it. Hickson is still definitive for me but McKenzie is becoming a very acceptable second best!

As always, this is a beautifully shot production with good period detail. They have changed aspects of the story slightly but not to any great detriment. Personally I think it was a mistake to have Gina and Mildred as sisters - they struck me as just too young to be convincing as Carrie Louise's daughters but it's a very small point. Once again the scriptwriters could not resist packing the narrative with extra incident and so I could have done without the poisoned oysters and the fire and the secret passage but, as I said, no great damage was done. The portrayal of Carrie Louise was interesting in that she was not played as the usual fragile innocent but rather as quite a strong willed, determined if somewhat misguided creature. I liked that but it did mean that one the key points in the book that leads Miss Marple to unravel the plot is lost - Carrie Louise's ability to see the reality of things despite her 'head in the clouds' appearance.

I thought the casting was generally strong and particularly liked Brian Cox as an understated Lewis Serrocold and Ian Ogilvie as a very likable Johnny Restarick. Despite some other comments on here, I really didn't mind Joan Collins too much as Ruth. It's quite a small role and I thought she did rather well as the old American broad who fights against her age (but her accent did wander about a bit). Chief plaudits though to the always watchable Penelope Wilton who was probably the best of the three Carrie Louise's I've seen so far.

All in all this was very enjoyable but let down slightly by a rather weak script. As a result it was all a bit patchy but worth a look nevertheless.

Marple: Murder Is Easy (2008) Season 4, Episode 2

OK if you can forget that its supposed to be Christie!

[5/10 · 13 September 2009]

This adaptation of 'Murder is Easy' bears very little resemblance to the original Christie novel. Most of the character names stay the same and so (surprisingly) does the identity of the murderer although the motive is completely different; a couple of the murder methods are also retained. I didn't hate it and this was largely down to some of the performances. Also, whilst I hate the changing of Christie's plots just for the sake of it, I must admit that the original motive for the many murders involved in the novel was actually just as unlikely and convoluted as in this new version! The problem is of course that in the book the murderer is mad and that goes some way to explaining his/her unlikely actions. In this version the murderer is not mad and therefore their actions seem less in keeping with the character as presented.

Julia McKenzie continues to impress as Miss Marple, shrewd and likable and sympathetic although I did feel that her complete integration into village life in Wychwood after only a few hours was very unbelievable. Of the others I liked Shirley Henderson as a younger Miss Waynflete, Jemma Redgrave as a Mrs Humbleby racing towards a nervous breakdown and Anna Chancellor as a likable Mrs Horton. None of the others really made any great impact largely because they were given so little to do. There was the usual case of 'big stars for the sake of it' in the line up. There seemed little point in Tim Brooke-Taylor or Sylvia Syms being there for the tiny, tiny little amount of screen time they were given! I was completely unimpressed and unmoved by the hugely forgettable Benedict Cumberbatch and Margo Stilley in the important roles of Luke and Bridget.

As always it looked lovely although unlike some I rather miss the 'technicolour' brightness of the earlier McEwan adaptations. All in all it was OK - this was never one of my favourite Christie novels but it probably did not warrant as much 'tampering' as it received here.

Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye (2008) Season 4, Episode 1

Solid first outing for McKenzie

[7/10 · 7 September 2009]

In this her debut performance as Miss Marple, I thought that Julia McKenzie did a very good job. Her Marple seems kindly, intelligent and respectful. I did grow to like Geraldine McEwan in the role but I think (on this showing) that I will prefer McKenzie's portrayal - McEwan often overdid the 'mischief'.

Kevin Elyot gives us a very faithful version of the book - perhaps TOO faithful! This may seen an odd thing to say in these days of wild plot changes but there are a lot of characters in this novel and arguably too many to fit in to a two hour (with commercial breaks) time slot. The Joan Hickson version of some years ago (of which I am very fond) cut the characters of Elaine and Gerald and I can't say that their inclusion in this new version really added anything. Because of the sheer number of characters few of them come to convincing life. McFadyen is good as the rather clipped and correct Inspector Neele and I also thought Rupert Graves made a suitably personable Lance. Among the women I liked Helen Baxendale as Mary Dove and Liz White as a rather edgy Jennifer and Wendy Richard's cameo as crusty Mrs Crump but none of them were as good as their counterparts for Hickson.

The first hour is played for gentle laughs and then becomes a little more serious when Miss Marple arrives on the scene. It was enjoyable but just a little dull but McKenzie was good and I look forward to seeing her again.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Unexpectedly good

[8/10 · 19 December 2008]

This film has been out for quite some time now but we have only just got round to watching it! I really was not sure what to expect. I feared it might be overly sentimental or just another vehicle for Jim Carrey (of whom I am not a great fan). I am pleased so say that I loved it - almost - unreservedly! I have not read the books so cannot comment on how the film compares to them. I very much enjoyed the overall look and feel of the film. I don't understand why some people complain when a fantasy film mixes periods and styles....it's a fantasy!! What does it matter if the cars are from the fifties yet they talk about faxes and wear Victorian frock coats? Its a fantasy!!! The overall tone is dark though mixed with a good deal of humour. I believe the books are darker still but I suppose the general feeling is that a film aimed mainly at a young audience cannot be too unrelentingly dark or it will alienate a large section of the potential audience. Personally I found the mix about right although I expect that it may be too dark for the very young.

Despite not being Carrey's greatest fan, I enjoyed his performance here. I little more reigning in here and there might not have gone amiss but overall I think he is well suited to this bizarre and unpleasant creation - I also enjoyed his weird accompanying 'troupe'. Billy Connolly is all sunny, warm contrast as Uncle Monty (I loved his house!). I adored Meryl Streep as batty, twitchy yet oddly lovable Aunt Josephine and was quite mesmerised throughout her whole (too short) performance. I thought the children acquitted themselves very well, especially Emily Browning as Violet.

I have read some complaints in other reviews about some of the subject matter in this film (death, attempted murder of children etc) but (as the prologue points out) life is not a sunny fairy story like The Littlest Elf. Horrible things happen. I'm not sure that it's a good thing to avoid this even in a children's movie. And besides, evil does not triumph in the end...

Why only eight stars out of ten? Well, I felt there were quite a lot of untied loose ends and unexplained things. I'm still not sure exactly what the children's parents and all their friends were investigating. I still don't really understand about the spyglasses or the significance of the 'eye'. I'm still not sure why Count Olaf ended up as first choice legal guardian when he was so obviously the enemy...why would their parents do that? Perhaps the plan was to make a sequel? Ah well, I will perhaps have to read the books to find out.

Poirot: Appointment with Death (2008) Season 11, Episode 4

Not like the book but OK on its own merits

[6/10 · 26 October 2008]

The novel 'Appointment With Death' is quite a simple story and the solution is not (IMO) one of Christie's best. Where this book scores is in its picturesque setting (the rose red city of Petra) and in the character of the victim, Mrs Emily Boynton - an extraordinary creation who remains in the imagination long after the book is over.

This film is the second adaptation of the book. Neither it nor its predecessor (with Peter Ustinov) managed to get to Petra but in this Suchet version, the archaeological dig setting works almost as well - so scenically we are well served! Neither film version quite manages to nail the character of Mrs Boynton. Arguably Piper Laurie is marginally more successful in the Ustinov version but I think this is simply because we get to see more of her. Cheryl Campbell just doesn't get very much to do and, more fatally the character becomes a rather more ordinary monster whose motivations are never satisfactorily explained. Sarah King's role in the book is to establish an uneasy relationship with the Boynton family and therefore uncover much of the background of the victim and why she is what she is. This doesn't happen here and Lady Boynton (as she is here) becomes a much less interesting person as a result.

This film is stuffed full of incident and subplots (that don't exist in the book) and as a result several new characters are introduced including a Polish nun and a batty nanny, neither of whom add very much to anything. A couple of old Christie themes are added in (ambiguous Christian names, last minute double murder/suicide, dual identities) but again they don't really improve the plot in any way. There are also substantial changes to the motive and method of the principal murder as well as the identity of the murderer(s). Thanks to some of the acting, the damage done as a result of these changes really isn't too bad. A further thought - why are all these people visiting (and staying over) at Lord Boynton's dig? One can understand his family being there but who invited Poirot, Dr Gerard, Mr Cope, Dr King and the Polish nun? It's not as if its a tourist attraction and Lord B doesn't seem to know any of them - apart from maybe Poirot himself.

Very few of the performances here really stand out but Elizabeth McGovern manages to do something special with the role of Celia Westholme (now a travel writer as opposed to a semi-comic American member of the British parliament) and both Boynton daughters are well done. IMO John Hannah overdoes it a bit in the role of Dr Gerard and the other men are a bit dull.

Altogether, this is not bad as a standalone murder mystery but as an adaptation of the Christie novel it falls a little short and, for me is the weakest if the latest season.

Poirot: Third Girl (2008) Season 11, Episode 3

A decent re-working of a difficult piece

[7/10 · 19 October 2008]

'Third Girl' is generally accepted as being one of Christie's weaker plots. A tremendous suspension of disbelief is required in order to accept one or two elements of the denouement and, to be honest, there is also the problem that not a great deal actually happens for much of the story other than Poirot trying to track down the elusive 'Third Girl'. Where the book does score is in its quirky (and sometimes embarrassing) descriptions of London in the 'swinging' sixties and Christie's observations on the youth of that time. Of course the Suchet Poirot series is firmly entrenched in the late thirties and so the sixties aspect had to disappear completely in this adaptation. Whilst the film still works there is no denying that such characters as David Baker, Frances Carey and arguably Norma Restarick herself become less interesting as a result.

Did well brought up young girls share flats in London in the late thirties? Well, I've just re-watched 'A Room With A View' where Lucy Honeychurch threatens to go and do just that so, yes - if they could do it in that period they must also have done so in Poirot's Art Deco period! The screenwriters have changed the plot quite a bit (although they keep the murderer(s) and general motive much the same) but I think this is for the better on the whole. The last fifteen minutes or so are still rather confusing (especially the private tutor subplot) but, generally speaking, it all works.

Zoe Wanamaker is back as Ariadne Oliver and I think this is her best performance yet. She gets a much more active role and there is a brilliant scene where she tracks a suspect that is almost exactly as it is written in the book! In fact, Wanamaker was the acting highlight in this film for me. Many of the other performances were a bit lacking in my opinion. Unfortunately I found myself not really caring about Jemima Rooper's Norma, finding her rather irritating instead and the important roles of Andrew, Frances and David were also rather forgettable. I did like Lucy Liemann however in the small role of the social climbing secretary Sonia! So, not one of the best acted Poirots of the season but a clever re-working of one of the weaker novels that I look forward to watching again.

Poirot: Cat Among the Pigeons (2008) Season 11, Episode 2

A happy version of one of my favourite Christies!

[9/10 · 19 October 2008]

'Cat Among The Pigeons' is one of my favourite Christie novels. I'm not sure exactly why as I admit that Poirot does little actual detection and the murderer is revealed more through luck than anything else. The characterisation is very strong however and I love the girls' school setting juxtaposed against the Middle Eastern subplot. I was a bit apprehensive then about this TV adaptation - would they destroy one of my favourites? Well, no they didn't. They made one or two minor changes (particularly around the second murder) but these worked and overall I was very pleased. As always, these Poirot films are set in the late thirties; the book was written in the late fifties but the girls' school setting is timeless and so the change in period made no difference at all. Poirot's early insertion into the story (to try and help Miss Bulstrode decide on her successor) did not entirely convince me but fans would not have been happy if Suchet had not made his first appearance till halfway through (as happens in the book). Those (like me) who were concerned that Katie Leung's character might steal the glory away from schoolgirls Julia and Jennifer had no cause to worry and the J's retained their important place in the story.

Miss Bulstrode is a formidable character to portray but I think Harriet Walter pulled her off convincingly. Susan Wooldridge was just excellent as Miss Chadwick and Elizabeth Berrington was just right as the nasty Miss Springer but, for me, the real star performance came from Natasha Little as Ann Shapland - I couldn't imagine the role better played. All the schoolgirls were terrific and (unlike 'Mrs McGinty') there was a real feeling of lightness to the piece. Highly recommended.

Poirot: Mrs McGinty's Dead (2008) Season 11, Episode 1

Dark and menacing McGinty

[8/10 · 19 October 2008]

As others have pointed out, this is generally speaking a very faithful adaptation of one of Mrs Christie's mid-period novels. There are only a couple of quite minor changes to the storyline and a few deleted characters but nothing to upset the overall plot. As always the production values are very high and the film looks good with excellent period details (the late thirties as opposed to the early fifties setting of the novel). This change of period makes little difference to the overall feel of the story (except that Maude Williams can no longer be a bold, brash blonde and becomes something altogether more demure instead) and the film-makers have gone for a very dark, brooding, sinister feel. Broadhinny comes across as a rather bleak, unwelcoming place; its streets empty although the net curtains still twitch. The residents also become odder and colder as a result, even the Summerhayes who run the awful guest house that Poirot is resigned to live in - in the book they are charming but hopelessly disorganised; in the film there might even be some abuse going on! Poirot then is not welcome here and nor especially is Ariadne Oliver - a second, very successful outing for Zoe Wanamaker. Oliver disappears a bit in the second half of the film which is a shame because the humour she brings to many of her scenes is a much needed antidote to the general gloom of the piece.

There are some good performances here (apart from Suchet and Wanamaker) particularly from Mary Stockley as Eve Carpenter, Joe Absalom as James Bentley and Sian Phillips and Paul Rhys as the Upward pair. All in all a very successful film and enjoyable to watch.

Marple: Towards Zero (2007) Season 3, Episode 3

Pretty good overall but Miss M not really required

[7/10 · 5 August 2008]

'Towards Zero' is a favourite Christie book of many but not me! I'm not sure why...perhaps it's the rather chilly cast of characters or the (often) rather unlikely plot. That said, this is a good adaptation of the book and generally very faithful. Miss Marple does not appear in the book and in this outing she seems more out of place than she did in 'Ordeal By Innocence' - I'm not convinced that her presence adds anything.

The film is beautifully shot and there is some good acting, particularly from Eileen Atkins as the acerbic Lady Tressilian, Greg Wise as Neville Strange and Julie Graham as a perfect Mary Aldin. Some are not so convincing (Zoe Tapper, Alan Davies) but no-one is really bad though Tom Baker is inclined to go rather over the top as usual.

I felt that bits of the narrative were too rushed and Miss Marple's arrival at the identity of the murderer none too clear. Indeed the end denouement is the weakest part of the film ('if it hadn't been for you Miss Marple, you old busybody' complains the murderer, sounding like the baddie in Scooby Doo!) Overall though, this is an enjoyable film and one I will certainly watch again.

The Man in the Brown Suit (1989 TV Movie)

Emphasis on comedy

[6/10 · 2 August 2008]

This is one of the few Agatha Christie novels that I have not read so I am not in a position to say how faithful or otherwise this adaptation is. It's a fast moving TV movie starring many famous TV faces of the time (late eighties). Although a thriller, the emphasis is mainly on comedy with Stephanie Zimbalist very likable and endearing as 'girl in search of adventure' Anne Beddingfield. She has a suitably square jawed, handsome hero to team up with in Simon Dutton and is surrounded by an assortment of rather two dimensional 'suspects' including Edward Woodward being VERY English and Rue McClanahan being VERY Southern and basically replaying Blanche from 'The Golden Girls'. Tony Randall shows that he is definitely NOT a master of disguise and there is a very funny episode towards the end when the ladies 'fail to recognise him'. There are a few moments like this (Anne escaping from the worst cell ever, the prat-fall over the edge of the waterfall etc) which one is never quite sure if they are meant to be funny or not.

On the whole this is quite enjoyable fluff but I must now read the novel which I believe is a far superior tale.

Murder in Three Acts (1986 TV Movie)

Down in Acapulco

[5/10 · 26 July 2008]

Having not seen this adaptation for a very long time I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it more than I expected to. I do however have a problem with updating Poirot to the eighties - he just doesn't fit, as a character into these surroundings. It works slightly better in 'Dead Man's Folly' because the 'English country house' atmosphere is relatively timeless but in LA and Mexico the eighties intrude too much and both Poirot and Hastings seem out of place. Ustinov is entertaining as always but I continue to have problems with Jonathan Cecil as Hastings who is even more of a gormless oaf in this movie than in his previous two appearances - I wish he would put that useless notepad away! The supporting cast are all OK though no-one is particularly outstanding. To be fair though, even in the book these are not the most interesting group of Christie suspects. I thought Tony Curtis made quite a good job of Charles Cartwright but again this was not an exceptional performance. It was sensible to change (slightly) the motive for the murders - the principal motive from the book would not have been very compelling in the liberated eighties! This movie is a pleasant enough way to spend a couple of hours but I suspect that David Suchet and his team will make a better job of it when they come to make it.

Dead Man's Folly (1986 TV Movie)

Best of three

[8/10 · 20 July 2008]

Of the three TV movies to feature Ustinov's Poirot in the eighties, this is easily the best in my opinion. There are three negatives to get out of the way first; firstly the action is updated to the eighties but this is not much of a problem in this film - 'Dead Man's Folly' is an English country house murder and once we have arrived at Nasse House we could almost be in any decade from the forties onwards. The only real intrusion from the eighties is the character of rock music promoter Eddie South (French playboy Etienne de Sousa in the novel). Secondly there is some quite broad comedy which is occasionally irritating - particularly the large group of amateur investigators scurrying around after the police with notebooks (why are Mrs Oliver and Amanda Brewis allowed to take part in the interviews?). Lastly there is the irredeemably wet and drippy portrayal of Hastings by Jonathan Cecil to be endured - but his role is not an especially important one thankfully!

Happily there are also many positives. The setting for Nasse House and it's grounds is beautiful and the film is generally well shot. Ustinov himself seems happier and more natural in this movie than he was in 'Thirteen At Dinner' - his own delivery of the lines is smoother and there is less of the sometimes annoying rambling and add-libbing from the earlier film. He is also surrounded with (on the whole) a very good supporting cast. Jean Stapleton is lovely as an American Mrs Oliver and there are good performances also from Tim Piggot Smith and Susan Wooldridge. I actually liked Nicolette Sheridan as Hattie - the character is supposed to be theatrically vague and empty headed and she carries this off rather well. The best supporting performance of all however is undoubtedly Constance Cummings who just IS Mrs Folliat - this is a completely natural and unforced performance worthy of the 'big screen'.

The adaptation is supremely faithful to the book even in the minor details and seems to flow more smoothly than 'Thirteen At Dinner' which often seemed choppy. Altogether I enjoyed this very much and will certainly be watching again.

Murder with Mirrors (1985 TV Movie)

Not compulsive viewing

[6/10 · 16 July 2008]

Having really rather enjoyed Helen Hayes' first outing as Miss Marple in 'A Caribbean Mystery' I was looking forward to this, her second and last. Unfortunately it doesn't work so well. Again, the adaptation follows the original novel quite closely (apart from the silly business with the Anton Rogers character and the cutting of a couple of characters) but the script is rather mediocre and plods along slowly. Updating the action to the eighties doesn't actually hurt the story very much - once we are at Stonygates we could be in any decade from the forties onwards.

Despite a wandering accent, I like Hayes' Marple and she's probably the strongest thing in this. Unlike 'Caribbean Mystery' however she has rather a weak supporting cast this time. It's a pity to see such strong actors as John Mills, Dorothy Tutin and Frances de la Tour given so little to do and such 'cardboard cut-out' characters to play. Bette Davis is surely there for her name alone - it's sad to see this performance only ten years or so after her cracking Miss Van Schuyler in 'Death On The Nile'. I quite liked John Laughlin and Liane Langland as the young marrieds but that was about it.

This film is not terrible and is worth a look; it's done with affection and is really quite faithful. To be fair the book is not one of Christie's strongest and even the Joan Hickson version is not all that great. After her adventure in the West Indies though, this Helen Hayes Marple remains disappointing.

Thirteen at Dinner (1985 TV Movie)

Kind of average!

[5/10 · 15 July 2008]

This adaptation of 'Lord Edgware Dies' takes Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot into the eighties. Christie can survive updating but I'm not sure that Poirot can. He seems uncomfortable taken out of his period and set down again so much later. It is odd to see him on a TV chat show and in conversation with Lee Horsely's American actor character ('love you') but perhaps this is also because the last time I saw this version of Poirot he was firmly in period, in the thirties in 'Evil Under The Sun'. The time shift is disconcerting and the character is still most at home in the country mansions of the English aristocracy and the Gothic townhouse of the victim.

Updating also affects (slightly) the motive for the murders. The motive would have been very powerful in the conservative thirties but not so much in the liberated eighties and there is some confusion over the method - the all important spectacles seem to have little real use or value here. On the whole though, Christie's original plot is followed quite closely but the script plods a bit and delivery is not all it could be - even Ustinov is given to rambling and add-libbing from time to time.

The cast varies from mediocre (Diane Keen, Horsley) to really quite good (Dunaway, Pays and Nighy) and there is a rather wet and dismal portrayal of Hastings from Jonathan Cecil. It is interesting to see David Suchet as Japp. I wanted to like this more than I did but for me the later Suchet version is much preferable with a much stronger cast (even Dunaway is outdone by Helen Grace) and, as always with these versions, perfect period detail.

Sparkling Cyanide (1983 TV Movie)

Cyanide in the eighties

[7/10 · 13 July 2008]

Like most of the TV movies made from Agatha Christie's books in the eighties, this one is remarkably faithful to the source material. All the names and relationships are unchanged (I think) - they even include Sandra's parents and make them just like their literary counterparts. Yes it is updated to the eighties and yes it is re-set in America but really, apart from that, it's almost word for word from the book. The character of Iris is rather more worldly and 'spunky' than she is in the book and Deborah Raffin plays her very winningly I think. I always find that Anthony Andrews plays pretty much everything he does exactly the same and his role here as Tony Browne is no different - he's suave, charming, cheeky and rather irritating! The other players all do very well and all in all the story is very well served.

A few points knocked off because one can't escape the 'cheese' of the eighties TV movie and it's accompanying terrible music.

Murder Is Easy (1982 TV Movie)

Not a bad effort

[7/10 · 12 July 2008]

This is a TV movie from 1981 featuring a starry (for it's day) Anglo-American cast and based on one of Christie's novels from the thirties. It has been updated to the early eighties but that seems to have done little harm as the 'English country village' setting could just as easily be from the thirties anyway (slow but sure policeman on a bike, tweedy middle aged ladies, tennis parties at the big house etc). The eighties only really intrude in some of the more bizarre outfits for heroine Lesley Anne Down and in the fact that Bill Bixby's character is supposedly a computer whizz. The whole 'computer' thing is actually quite poorly thought out and contributes very little and I never believed that Bixby was any kind of whizz at all in that particular field. Some of the music is good (the main theme, love theme for Miss Waynflete) and some of it is dreadful (the comic 'Carry On' moments and especially the 'sexy' sax for the main couple).

There are plenty of positives though. The film is astonishingly faithful to the book and plays out almost to the letter. This actually has a slight downside as there are far too many characters and most of them are barely fleshed out. The whole thing is very well shot and there are some very good performances. I was pleasantly surprised by Lesley Anne Down as Bridget - a very good performance indeed. Olivia de Haviland is appropriately tweedy and sympathetic as Miss Waynflete and Timothy West puts in a good turn as Bridget's childish fiancée. Helen Hayes is lovely in the brief but memorable role of Miss Fullerton. Bill Bixby is OK but not much more as the leading man. The story plays out well but the final confrontation between two possible killers is rather unconvincing but, to be fair, I think it would be a difficult scene to carry off really well.

Overall, this is a very worthy adaptation and worth a look if you can find it.

Appointment with Death (1988)

What no Petra?

[6/10 · 8 July 2008]

Peter Ustinov's Poirot made two 'big screen' appearances with starry casts (both excellent in my opinion) before retreating to TV movie land with a further three stories (slightly less starry and variable in quality). 'Appointment With Death' was his return to the big screen - I remember going to the cinema on it's release. The cast is semi starry this time and, unlike the TV movies, Poirot is now back in period...almost - the theme music is very eighties!

The basic plot in 'Appointment With Death' is not really one of Christie's strongest. The book is notable mainly for the extraordinary creation that is Mrs Boynton and the strange psychological hold she has over her family. Much as I like Piper Laurie, I was disappointed that in this film the character is turned into a more obvious pantomime villain. Lauren Bacall's Lady Westholme is by far the most vivid character here, overdoing it just very slightly but not too much. Jenny Seagrove has some good moments but Soul, Fisher and Mills are a bit wasted. Gielgud has little to do as Colonel Carbury. The remaining Boyntons are not very convincing - some quite poor acting here I thought. Sadly I felt that much of the time even Ustinov was 'going through the motions' - there seems little of the fun from the first two movies.

The locations are lovely although it was disappointing not to see Petra (as in the book) but perhaps they couldn't get permission to film there and the 'period' feel is generally pretty good. I enjoyed watching this movie again but it's sadly not a patch on Ustinov's earlier outings as the Belgian detective.