Hughmanity
Joined Dec 2015
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Hughmanity's rating
I've watched all three adaptations of this Christie novel - this 1980 movie and the 1992 and 2010 TV movies, and IMO this is the best one because of the cast and especially Elizabeth Taylor who plays Marina Gregg in a way that's both empathetic and meta to her own life at that point where she was coming from her own personal challenges and attempting to revive her career.
The cast is really star studded with Angela Lansbury, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Kim Novak all playing their respective roles wonderfully. But none are better than Taylor who had one scene where she shows her acting range flipping from one mindset to another in a heartbeat that was astonishing to me. If you watch it you will know which scene I mean.
If you want the version that adheres most closely to the book then go with 1992, but if you want the version that understands this story is a tragedy at its core and that's what drives the depth of emotion around it, then this is the best version hands down and it's the relationship between Taylor and Hudson especially that drive it. To balance that, Novak plays to great comedic effect with her over the top portrayal of a rival actress. Some of the dialogue she and Taylor have is absolutely hilarious as they take turns zinging each other.
Great movie, worth the watch!
The cast is really star studded with Angela Lansbury, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Kim Novak all playing their respective roles wonderfully. But none are better than Taylor who had one scene where she shows her acting range flipping from one mindset to another in a heartbeat that was astonishing to me. If you watch it you will know which scene I mean.
If you want the version that adheres most closely to the book then go with 1992, but if you want the version that understands this story is a tragedy at its core and that's what drives the depth of emotion around it, then this is the best version hands down and it's the relationship between Taylor and Hudson especially that drive it. To balance that, Novak plays to great comedic effect with her over the top portrayal of a rival actress. Some of the dialogue she and Taylor have is absolutely hilarious as they take turns zinging each other.
Great movie, worth the watch!
This Christie story has been adapted for TV twice, once in 1983 and then this one in 2003. After watching both it's clear that this is the superior adaptation especially from a plot standpoint where they fix some of the more far-fetched elements of the original Christie story and the 1983 version that was set in America. Even in America they threw a Brit in to do the detective work which didn't make a lot of sense - why are the police welcoming this foreigner into the behind-the-scenes investigation?
This one is set in London and uses a husband-and-wife government section team to do the detective work. The couple have a fun chemistry and are well played by the actors. It also fixes the fashion and the hair! Phew it was good to see people looking relatively normal again.
All that said, it was fun to compare and contrast and just to see the wild hair, jumpsuits and shoulder pads of early 80s America. So if you're just watching one, watch this one, but then watch a few minutes of the other and see if you can tear your eyes away from it.
This one is set in London and uses a husband-and-wife government section team to do the detective work. The couple have a fun chemistry and are well played by the actors. It also fixes the fashion and the hair! Phew it was good to see people looking relatively normal again.
All that said, it was fun to compare and contrast and just to see the wild hair, jumpsuits and shoulder pads of early 80s America. So if you're just watching one, watch this one, but then watch a few minutes of the other and see if you can tear your eyes away from it.
