Marina Gregg, a glamorous but fragile Hollywood starlet, has settled in St. Mary Mead with her dashing husband - the young director Jason Rudd. Gregg has captured the fancy of the quaint English village, even Miss Marple, who along with everyone else is eager for a party at Gregg's stunning home. The hospitality turns horrific when a guest drops dead due to a poisoned daiquiri. Was Gregg herself the intended target? Miss Marple's friend Dolly Bantry has lots to say about the case (and everything else), even offering up some surprising clues. But the high drama isn't over - another murder grabs the spotlight, leading to a shocking conclusion far beyond what even Hollywood could concoct. (Synopsis from the official PBS Masterpiece website. www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/marple/index.html)
The film opens up with Marie Antoinette. Well, it's the film Marie Antoinette that American actress Marina Gregg is in. Of course, who's watching it in the theater, Jane Marple and Dolly Bantry. What's the first thing I notice, the costumes for the Marie Antoinette were gorgeous. As always the Miss Marple films look really good. The rich colors, the cinematography, the sets, the scenery, the costumes, everything is so lush. The acting was good, though some of those American accents were scary. Marple and Dolly even go to a film set where Marina is filming Cleopatra, of course she's the star. Again, I liked the change of costumes.
As always with an Agatha Christie adaption, stellar well known British actors are abundant. Julia McKenzie is settling in much better as Miss Marple. This is her second series after taking over from Geroldine McEwan (my fav Miss Marple). Lindsay Duncan plays Marina. I love Lindsay Duncan (check out HBO's Rome, stellar, she was awesome) and she was good, she played that vulnerability so well you really did feel sorry for Marina. She's trying to rebuild her career, she has a disabled son in a nursing home, she's icy, she's both sides of the coin, she's married to a younger man, she's got it all and she's got nothing. Joanna Lumley reprises her role as Dotty, last seen in The Body in the Library. She was great, the comedy relief at times but not over the top. Hugh Bonneville plays Inspector Hewitt, you can't say a bad word about Hugh Bonneville, seriously.
I have no complaints. The story was well told. if you've never seen this adaption before or read the novel you'd enjoy the twist. In fact I enjoyed it knowing what I knew. I put the book aside and just enjoyed it for what it was. Not a bad way to spend 90 minutes.
History has been written within the walls of the stately Chimneys estate. But Chimneys luster was tarnished after a grand party that ended in the theft of a revered Indian diamond. Now, more than 20 years later, Miss Marple is accompany Virgina Revel to Chimneys, her family home, for a weekend with Virgina's father Lord Caterham, Austrian count Ludwig van Stainach and an odd array of other guests. But when Count Ludwig is found shot, it seems scandal has come again to Chimneys. Is there a coded message in the dead man's pocket? An esteemed chief Inspector arrives from Scotland Yard, and with the clear thinking of Miss Marple, the two will uncover decades old secrets, and navigate through the smokescreen of perplexing clues to the truth of what happened at Chimneys. (Synopsis from the official PBS Masterpiece website)
This isn't a Miss Marple story. It's a stand alone novel. Though Inspector Battle appears in four other Christie novels. The Secret of Chimneys being his first appearance. He also appears in the Poirot novels Card's on the Table and Murder on the Links, plus stand alone novel Murder is Easy. (Which was adapted for last years series of Marple films, story changed, still good. Go see the version with Olivia de Havilland, she's awesome, it's out on dvd.)
Because of the addition of Miss Marple the story is of course different. It had to, you have to accommodate for Marple being included. Of course it looks good, the colors are lush, good acting, the norms for a Christie adaption. I have to say I felt this adaption was flat. I can't put my finger on exactly why. I don't really care that the story is different or that they added Miss Marple. I was just lelt feeling a bit, oh that was it. Feeling that in a story your familiar with is strange, even with the changes. It was rushed in some places but not rushed in other aspects. I'm going to say that the script was lack luster and if you were new to this story you could of figured out a major twist very easily early on. It 's worth watching simply because these films always look good and the cast is usually spot on. I don't really think it's something you would want to see twice.
Mary Pritchard, disliked even by the village reverend, is panicked that she is about to die, and a visit by a veiled fortune teller only fuels more paranoia about her fate. But when the wealthy Pritchard is actually found dead, reportedly from the shock of seeing a pink geranium in her wallpaper turn blue, the tensions and accusations in Pritchard's small village blossom widely. Is it possible that Pritchard was scared to death? Miss Marple, in town visiting an old friend, mingles with the villagers, uncovering any number of people who share in the hatred for Pritchard and also harbour their own deadly sins. More deaths occur in short order, leading Miss Marple in a tangled case rooted in desire, deception and greed. (Synopsis from the official PBS Masterpiece website)
Well, this was adapted from a short story, for those who wanna know or don't know. I was happy with this adaption. All the usual beats were there, looks great, well known cast, costumes. I especially liked Toby Stephens as George Pritchard. The cast is bloated, in a good way, so not everyone has longer scenes then the others but Toby Stephens stood out in his role. (Still swoon worthy in 2006 Jane Eyre). The cast is absolutely spot on. Also excellent was Claudie Blakley, per usual, as Mary's sister Philippa.
What I love most was the WTF that was the killer outcome. After a good start, a so so middle, this Miss Marple series went out on a very good note. I especially loved what the director, David Moore, did. It was defiantly the most stylish of the three. It wasn't the usual bright Marple movies, everything was toned down, giving it a more somber ton. Plus the story is creepy, the reason for the murders, it's like why go threw all that. The story is a stand out. I really really enjoyed, no loved it. Even though I knew the specifics, I was still invested, which is a plus in my book. Out of the three, by far this was the best acted, better told films. It was well paced, so much story was packed into 90 minutes. This is a must see if your new to the revamped, rebooted Marple series of films.
Pardon my incoherent ramblings. my insomnia makes me a weirdo. Don't let the ramblings turn you off, check out the films, read Agatha Christie.
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