Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This latest in the long-running Hercule Poirot television series, with Poirot played by David Suchet, has been released on DVD with the cumbersome title Agatha Christie Poirot: Classic Crimes Collection. This series 12, from 2005-06, and series 11, from 2003-04 and released as Agatha Christie Poirot: The New Mysteries Collection, is a somewhat different look at Poirot than we've been used to.
Although the time period is approximately the same, the mid-to-late Thirties, Hercule Poirot is noticeably older and stouter. Suchet, who was 43 when he began Poirot in 1989, is now 60. No longer part of the stories are Captain Hastings, Miss Lemon and Inspector Japp. Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon gave Poirot opportunities to express affection and gentle amusement. They in turn, by their devotion to him, gave us a chance to see him through their eyes as not simply a person confident about his little grey cells, but as a somewhat eccentric individual we could like. Japp showed us how the police could come to respect and even defer to this brilliant, prim and unselfconsciously egotistic little foreigner. Poirot, now with no friends, seems at times a lonely figure. The mysteries remain intricate, but they sometimes lack warmth and a friendly insouciance. There is a heavy-handedness about the production which takes some getting used to.
As usual, Poirot spends much of his time catching murderers among Britain's upper crust, which gives us many opportunities to see how our betters live, behave and dress. His deep outrage over privileged people who believe murder is simply a way to deal with life's inconveniences remains strong. With little opportunity for small touches of humanity and friendship, however, the series now seems a bit glum. The trademark conclusion to each Poirot mystery, where all the suspects gather together (usually in a drawing room) and listen while Poirot dissects the case, explains the implacability of his logic and then one by one rules out the innocent until only the guilty party is left squirming, is still an effective dramatic device.
The new Poirot mysteries work as elegant puzzles. They may be a bit rougher at times with strong language now and then and some sexually-motivated plots, but they are well-written and well-acted. David Suchet is still a wonder at being Poirot; he inhabits the role and is great fun to watch. But perhaps this older, more serious Poirot is just a little too self-contained. He needs a friend or two.
The mysteries in this collection include murder on an elegant train, murder in an elegant country home, murder in another elegant country home and murder in an elegant town house. Amongst the characters working with Poirot to solve the town house murder is one played by Zoe Wanamaker. She's a first-rate actress and her pungent performance gives Suchet some real competition.
The DVDs all have great looking transfers. Each of the four mysteries runs approximately 1' 40" on separate discs. The extras include biographies of Agatha Christie and David Suchet.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Poirot - Classic Crimes Collection (The Mystery of the Blue Train / After the Funeral / Cards on the Table / Taken at the Flood) (1990)
Studio: A&e Home VideoRelease Date: 05/30/2006
Get 49% OFF
No comments:
Post a Comment