I am a fan of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers mysteries; they are, for the most part, entertaining, well written and suspenseful. The many stage and screen adaptations of stories by these authors have delighted audiences for decades. That said, imitators abound, and some produce a quality product. In the case of "Invitation to a Murder," however, I found no redeeming value. Foolishly, I ignored the reviews and purchased the DVD.
There is nothing good to say about this movie. The dialog is trite; the acting is awful (though that could be the fault of the director); the score is overbearing; even the lighting is uneven. The characters are undeveloped and weak. Their interaction is forced (and, frankly, unbelievable). The story makes no sense at all, and even the denouement is patently ridiculous.
It appears as though the producers intended this to be a pilot for a TV series featuring Mischa Barton as a Miss Marple-type amateur detective. If that is the case, and with all do respect to Ms. Barton, she should run fast in the opposite direction.
There is nothing good to say about this movie. The dialog is trite; the acting is awful (though that could be the fault of the director); the score is overbearing; even the lighting is uneven. The characters are undeveloped and weak. Their interaction is forced (and, frankly, unbelievable). The story makes no sense at all, and even the denouement is patently ridiculous.
It appears as though the producers intended this to be a pilot for a TV series featuring Mischa Barton as a Miss Marple-type amateur detective. If that is the case, and with all do respect to Ms. Barton, she should run fast in the opposite direction.