They Do It with Mirrors

Ruth Van Rydock ( Joan Collins) can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to her sister at Stonygates house. She informs her old school friend Jane Marple (Julie Mackenzie) of this, and the sleuthing spinster to pay a visit to this grand Victorian mansion that isn't just a family home - it's also a correctional facility for wayward young men.

And when something terrible does indeed happen, Miss Marple must face her most eccentric cast of suspects yet.

Julie Mackenzie is a very good Marple, observing and intelligent. She certainly sense the air of evil in the mansion and soon there's murder- the characters are really good such as the young man who says his father's Winston Churchill. Ian Oglivy is quite good as an ex-husband of the sister. It's a well told mystery that is neatly wrapped up at the end.

This is one of the better Miss Marple adaptations starring JULIA McKENZIE as the clever sleuth who solves a few murders while helping detectives solve the case.

Without giving the plot away, it's safe to say that THEY DO IT WITH MIRRORS refers to the old theatrical expression used to explain theater magic. Here it becomes a vital part of the plot, the revelation of which should come as no great surprise to mystery fans.

BRIAN COX is fine in the central role of Louis Serrocold and all of the other British players are well cast. McKenzie seems to be settling into her role with ease and comfort, but her ability to see through a maze of relationships and clues remains a bit far fetched. Nevertheless, the story has enough ingredients to hold one's interest until the solution is revealed.

Well worth watching, especially for Marple fans. The only false note is JOAN COLLINS' flamboyant performance as Ruth. Her opening scene, especially, with Miss Marple is poorly written and directed.

Trivia note: ELLIOT COWAN who plays the American Wally, is (excuse the expression) a dead ringer for Heath Ledger--even has some of his mannerisms. Incredible likeness.

"The Do It With Mirrors" is arguably one of Christie's lesser novels. Julia McKenzie does a good job of trying to keep it together, but the addition of the always-lousy Joan Collins was a mistake. So was the re-telling of the story, which has been done with every actress to play Miss Marple, including my all-favorite, Joan Hickson. I have Hickson's version and it's a "mod" mess with psychedelic stage plays! So I haven't really seen "Mirrors" with any actress that's worth it's salt. The problem with this series production team is the writing! All the actors try their best but they simply don't have good scripts. What a shame because we're all looking forward to a good Miss Marple series. I do enjoy McKenzie, especially in "Pocketful of Rye." I'll just check it out to see if this gets better. In the meantime, I have them on old-fashioned videotape.

I mean, Helen Hayes and Bette Davis - you're not going to beat it, so why redo it? Julia McKenzie stars as Miss Marple in this version of "They Do it With Mirrors," also starring Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton, and Elliot Cowan.

Ruth Van Rydock (Joan Collins) asks Miss Marple to find out what's going on with her sister Carrie-Louise, as there have been some strange happenings at her home.

Carrie Louise has two daughters, Gina, who is adopted, and Mildred, her biological daughter, and she is currently married to her third husband, Lewis Serrocold (Brian Cox). Add this to the fact that Carrie Louise runs a training school for ex-cons on her property, and the place has lots of potential for problems.

Marple goes to stay at the house and learns that a fire destroyed most private papers; then Christian, Carrie Louise's stepson from her first marriage, is killed, and a note is found warning that someone is trying to poison Carrie-Louise. Then someone else is murdered.

The script for this stuck more to the actual story than some of these adapted mysteries do - there are some situations added, but nothing huge.

Wilton was a very different Carrie-Louise, younger and rather than being fragile, as Davis was, she's more of an airhead, and her characterization works well.

Ian Ogilvy is a visiting ex-husband, and it was nice to see him again as I really liked him on "The Saint." All in all, a good adaptation, and I really like McKenzie's Marple. Joan Collins was wasted in a small role; and she can do a better American accent than what she did here.

It's not one of my favourite Christie novels, but this production manages to bring it to life, it's well paced, brilliantly acted and manages not to go over the top. It manages to be witty in parts. A few minor changes only, so it does feel very faithful to the book. I like how Wally was switched to being a prime suspect, it's very logical.

Some of the American accents are hit and miss, naturally Joan Collin's is fantastic, but Penelope Wilton's is dire.

I truly love Emma Griffiths, what a gorgeous girl, she makes the role of Geena so much fun. What can be said for Elliot Cowan though, he is something special, he's an enormous screen presence. Naturally Joan Collins adds something special, whilst I've never thought her a particularly brilliant actress she is definitely iconic.

I've spoken previously how much I liked Julia Mckenzie in the role, and she never disappoints, another top notch performance from her.

It's hard to find any fault with it in truth, it's very slick, and the ending is definitely satisfying. 8/10