splensky

I love a good Agatha Christie mystery. Years ago when young I reread the books over and over. I was excited about this adaptation, willing to give it a try because I like Angelica Huston and Mathew Rhys. Unfortunately this version had to muck with a really good Agatha Christie "who-dun-it" mystery. This version has changed characters, omitted some characters, overcomplicated their motivations for murder and switched who got murdered first, changing the plot line which dulls the mystery. Even the detective is swapped from Inspector Battle to Leach which is ironic because the name switch symbolises how the story has been dulled down from dramatic to boring. Leach is drowning in alcoholism and is suicidal which makes him overly dark and not compelling to watch. Angelica Huston is too passive, not dominating or caustic enough to murder, only rich. It's dark, not the plot, but rather the filtering chosen for filming is dark & grimy in a weak ploy to create mystery. It's simply annoying as the character's faces are difficult to see in the dark. Dialogue & plot should create the mystery rather than cinematic filters. Sex scenes are used also to create drama which is another by-product of a weak plot line. Christie employed flirtatious characters, but true to her era didn't use overt sex to tell a story, instead Christie always produced a good plot line with witty dialogue. Worst of all, the story is very slow. Christie skilfully wrote Towards Zero with a delayed murder, but this version can't pull that off and when they change the order of the murder plot lines, it jumbles the mystery right out of the story. The few positives are that the setting & costumes are period-rich with details that make the show nice to view.. But even this is dulled by the overused dark filters chosen for this version. Unfortunately setting & costumes can't trump the importance of plot & dialogue for drama. With weak story telling, this version isn't worthy of Dame Agatha Christie. Her descendants promote this film, as it's a money-making legacy for the corporation Christie has become, but I think Agatha the writer would be disappointed.

Yes, this mystery novel is often declared to be one of Agatha Christie's weakest plots, but Hugh Laurie adds loads of interesting & witty details that help the story move along. He infuses the story with sly humour and subtle character details. I recommend this adaptation as good entertainment. I'm a huge mystery fan of both books and film. Seen & read all the great mysteries. I've read every Christie novel more than once and seen multiple times almost all adaptations of her writing on film. I enjoyed this one. It requires viewers to pay attention. Hugh Laurie has many subtle details The acting ensemble is strong. The two leads are young and their acting will mature in time, but their performances are good. More sexual repertoire between them is the main ingredient missing. More flirty banter would have added some spark. Despite some minor flaws, Hugh Laurie should be congratulated for his writing & directorial debut. Hopefully he'll make more Agatha Christie adaptations. I'd watch more, for sure.