Teresa reviews “Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar” (2019) Fidelity to real life: 2 hatchets Max is real, the Woolleys are real, the timeline’s close, and England had compelling reasons to exploit Middle Eastern oil reserves. Quality of movie on its own: 2½ hatchets So many failed opportunities and unanswered questions, yet surprisingly funny. Read […]
Teresa reviews “Agatha and the Truth of Murder” (2018) and enjoyed very much the mix of the real Agatha with a fictional murder case. Fidelity to life: 2½ hatchets A surprising amount of reality mixed into a Christie-esque murder mystery. Quality of movie on its own: 4 hatchets Much better than it had any right […]
Teresa reviews “Death on the Nile” (2022), Kenny Branaugh’s second Agatha Christie adaptation, and was distracted by the unreal all-CGI film. Fidelity to text: 3 handguns Unneeded Poirot backstory, character consolidation, badly run ship, and the cast never went near Egypt. Quality of film on its own: 3 handguns Gorgeous to watch, wonderful to hear, […]
Teresa reviews “Ordeal by Innocence” (2018) and decides that Sarah Phelps’ additions made it a good movie, but not Christie’s movie. Warning: More spoilers here than the nuclear bombs in the 1950s. Fidelity to text: 2 ½ decanters The plot remains but the characters are more complex. The murderer changes but it worked. Quality of […]
Teresa reviews “ABC Murders” (2018) and apart from the appearance of “Harry Potter” actors, finds it grim, dreary, and disgusting. Fidelity to text: 2 ½ coshes The murder plot remains. Everyone, including Poirot, desperately needs therapy for depression and assorted personality disorders. Quality of movie on its own: 3 1/2 coshes But only if you’ve […]
Teresa reviews “The Witness for the Prosecution” (2016) and thought it was a good moody and atmospheric remake of the short story. Fidelity to text: 4 candlesticks The plot’s expanded but remains tightly focused on five people (and a cat). Quality of movie on its own: 4 candlesticks Great acting, sets, staging, cinematography, score, but […]
Teresa reviews “Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case” (2013) and thought it was a fitting send-off for the little Belgian detective. Fidelity to text: 4½ poison bottles Very close, including dialog. Quality of movie on its own: 4½ poison bottles Outstanding, except for a scene in the book dropped from the movie. Adding that back would have […]
Teresa reviews “The Labours of Hercules” (2013) and thought it an excellent adaptation short of a 12-episode series. Fidelity to text: 2 knives There are plenty of references and chunks of plot but turning 12 stories into an 89-minute movie was not possible. Quality of movie on its own: 4 knives It held together well; […]
Teresa Reviews “The Big Four” (2013) and found that scriptwriter Mark Gatiss cobbled together a crackling winner of an episode. Fidelity to text: 2 bishops Mark Gatiss completely rearranged and recast the novel into something where, at best, names and situations match. Quality of movie on its own: 4 1/2 bishops Mark Gatiss made it […]
Teresa reviews “Elephants Can Remember” (2013) and discovered the screenwriter knew how to salvage a good adaptation from a sad novel. Fidelity to text: 3 revolvers Add a loony headshrinker, his murder, and the daughter of one of his victims but it slotted in nicely. Quality of movie on its own: 4 revolvers The two […]