The Secret of Chimneys

As it is it is fine, the plot is pretty good, however if you expect it to have any similarity with Agatha Christie's story then you will be disappointed and confused. Miss Marples does not appear in the book, and the story line is completely different. However the plot is quite decent, so watch it for what it is, and disregard it as having any connection to the book.

I knew after the first minute this was going to be really enjoyable, and it was. Starting a drama with a bit of Strauss (Wiener Bonbons) is never a bad idea, it sets the tone. The worst case of saved on a bicycle whilst wearing an anorak as I have ever seen.

We learn that after a party in 1932, a maid Agnes stole a hugely valuable jewel from one of the guests and then vanished. A diplomatic gathering happens at the old family home of the Caterham family, Chimneys. Honoured Guest and dignitary Count Ludwig is found murdered and Miss Marple sets about unravelling a web of secrets and lies.

It's a deep plot, it's not straightforward like Library or Vicarage, but it at least allows a little intelligence from the viewer. I don't see where some reviewers are coming from when they say they don't understand it, have you seen an episode of Waking the dead? This is deep not complex.

Wonderfully acted as you'd expect, it's very much McKenzie that stands out as the class act of the piece. Edward Fox is as usual very good, he plays the unsympathetic aristocrat very well, he's a commanding actor. Ruth Jones and Dervla Kirwan provide the lighter side. Good to see Michelle Collins cast against type, and playing a more dowdy character, she clearly does sinister very well. Matthew Horne is a little silly at times I thought.

I like the humour in it, mainly coming from the Kirwan/Jones combination. The music as mentioned briefly is superb, you can't beat a Strauss waltz, but the incidental music is lovely too. As a production it looks beautiful, gorgeous settings, great shots, it's a visual treat.

It gets an 8/10, it's not brilliant or flawless, but it's imaginative, beautifully produced, and original, Miss Marple fitted in beautifully to this story, she din't seem contrived.

They chose the wrong novel to adapt. The book was a really light, silly story, but because of the adapting for Television, they had to serious-ise it. And it didn't work very well.

If you look at it unbiased, without any prior knowledge of the book, it's quite decent, if a bit clichéd. Because it was a book with such a strong plot before, everybody is shocked that they dared to change it so much. The costumes etc. are lovely as usual and the acting isn't half bad. Suspense as to who the murderer is is kept right up 'til the end of the solution scene. If you haven't read the book before, watch and you will probably enjoy it, but if you have read the book, don't touch it with a barge pole.

As somebody who loves Agatha Christie's novels, and loves adaptations of her books, I am an avid defender of the ITV adaptation of Miss Marple. Both Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie are superb in their own interpretations of the character, meaning that every episode is a pure delight to watch. The Secret of Chimneys is definitely among the best of the episodes! Having watched this the very afternoon of finishing the book, it is worth mentioning - as all other reviews do so temperately - that they have strayed from the book. Very far. To the point of being completely unrecognisable. Fair enough - this particular book is a bit of a nightmare to adapt - but one does wonder why they didn't just...adapt a different story? Although this TV series is famous for changing plots rather radically, this was the first time I saw a book completely rewritten almost without a trace.

HOWEVER, I don't care about novelistic accuracy. In fact, I admire the way that the 'Agatha Christie's Marple' series changes the plots. If the film is good in its own right, that is all that matters! A film is an entirely different thing, and the film is not the book. For example, several reviewers slate the Marple adaptation of "The Sittaford Mystery" for too many deviations. Whilst I myself do not like that film, my dislike has nothing to do with the inaccuracies: my dislike stems from it just not being a particularly well-directed film. The Secret of Chimneys though, as a film in its own right, is fantastic! Beautiful production values, well-shot, classic Christie (everyone up at a country house...) and, as always, an absolute standout performance from Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple. She has earned my full respect with her work on the role; she is flawless.

Bravo!

In Julia McKenzie's sixth outing as Agatha Christi amateur sleuth Miss Jane Marple, she visits the country estate of Lord Caterham (Edward Fox), at which guest Count Ludwig von Stainach (Anthony Higgins) expresses an interest in the lovely Lady Virginia Revel (Charlotte Salt), who is also pursued by her intended, Anthony Cade (Jonas Armstrong), plus Bill Eversleigh (Mathew Horne) and George Lomax (Adam Godley), each of whom proposes matrimony.

Other ladies of the manor and guests, Agnes (Laura O'Toole), Treadwell (Michelle Collins), Bundle (Dervla Kirwan), and Miss Blenkinsopp (Ruth Jones), join in the fun until bodies begin to pop up around the lavish estate, maintained by Jaffers (Alex Knight).

Inspector Finch (Stephen Dillane) serves as a bright spot, with his soft-spoken, gentlemanly manner, as he investigates without the benefit of law enforcement officer assistance the body discovered in the basement corridor with a suspect's hovering above it after a blast is heard, causing residents and guests to search the grounds, with Miss Marple at the forefront of the snooping.

During the course of the next evening's dinner, a soup of mushroom and sage is laced with the next murder weapon, a secret ingredient causing the next body to plop, a factor which doesn't initially seem to tie in with the first murder, or are these the second and third homicides at Caterham Manor?

When a suspect or two are arrested, Miss Marple begins to tie together a series of clues leading to the perpetrator, who recalls via flashback scenes an earlier murder, connecting to this recent double homicide, paving the way for Lady Virginia Revel to decide among her suitors, or, should we say, her surviving suitors if any remain innocent of murder, that is?

This adaptation of "The Secret of Chimneys" contains wonderful Cinematography with its excellent location shots plus its flowing camera movements, as well as its effects of creating live action footage from still photography, and its morphing from daytime to night-time seemingly effortlessly although excessive sound effects' noise does irritate the dialogue's pleasant conversational tone at times.

(Extra points for Stephen Dillane in his authoritative yet personable role of Inspector Finch.)