Change Your Image
rhysmann2008
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
The Hour (2011)
An extremely good new series--"Come on. We've got a story to write."
The Hour is an intriguing new drama, created and written by Abi Morgan, that spans several genres and weaves them together cleverly and effectively. There is espionage, murder and suspense on the one hand; romance on another hand; comedy on yet another hand; and political drama on the final hand. The central emphasis is on the characters, however, of Bel Rowley (producer of The Hour), Hector Madden (its presenter), and one of the best characters of recent years, the funny and confident Freddie Lyon, one of the show's journalists.
The acting is uniformly excellent; Romola Garai ('Atonement'; 'The Crimson Petal and the White') and Ben Whishaw ('Perfume'; 'Criminal Justice I') especially shine as Bel and Freddie. There are other superb performances from the seedy Julian Rhind-Tutt ('Green Wing') and the suave Dominic West ('The Wire'), along with my personal favourite Anna Chancellor ('Four Weddings and a Funeral') as Lix, an acid-tongued feminist in the newsroom.
The story does start off a little slowly, but prepare for a roller-coaster ride later on, particularly in the extremely tense final episode, where the drama is perfectly pitched. The loose ends are nicely tied up, and the conclusion is suitably ambiguous, ready for the second series which has been commissioned.
The only quibble is the sometimes anachronistic dialogue; but one tends not to notice this as everything else is so good.
So, overall this is an intriguing, intelligent drama with plenty of strands, twists and turns, and fantastic acting all round. I await series two eagerly.
Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express (2010)
One of the greatest crime novels of all time... murdered, by Stewart Harcourt.
Agatha Christie's Poirot, starring David Suchet, who is simply perfect in the character, has been airing on British television since 1989. For the show's perfect first fourteen years, the episodes were faithfully adapted from the cleverly structured and written novels by Agatha Christie, and were enlivened by plenty of humour, supplied by the excellent characters of Chief Inspector Japp, Miss Lemon and, of course, Captain Hastings.
However, this, bizarrely, all changed from 2003 onwards, when these characters were removed, and the show became humourless, dark and the stories only bore a passing resemblance to the originals (in some cases the only resemblance being the fact that Poirot is in the story - Appointment with Death and Third Girl, for example). Some adaptations were still well-done, and production values increased, making each episode more like a single, cinematic film, with beautiful direction and filming.
Consequently Murder on the Orient Express had been eagerly anticipated by all fans of Agatha Christie. Naturally there will be comparisons to the 1974 film with Albert Finney, which stayed very close to Christie's original story. Unfortunately, this new adaptation, despite the fact that it has David Suchet reprising his role as Poirot, is dreadful.
The first quarter of an hour is spent watching a Lieutenant in the army commit suicide in front of Poirot, and, even more shockingly, the stoning of an adulteress on the streets of Istanbul. These elements are unnecessary, and form the basis for the 'twist' on the original, which I shall elaborate upon later.
Stewart Harcourt, the murderer of this wonderful book, seems to have got it into his head that because everyone surely knows who done it, he needn't bother with keeping the mystery central to the story. In fact, the murder and the investigation that ensues only takes up about half of the episode. Poirot rushes through the clues and the interviews as if he is desperate to get home (to his hugely missed friend Captain Hastings, perhaps?) and has no interest whatsoever in detection. The characters are badly introduced (in the novel, Mrs Christie's scene where all the characters are introduced is done marvellously), and therefore two characters just appeared without the audience knowing who they were - Countess Andrenyi and her companion - and then disappeared again, not to appear until Poirot's unravelling of the mystery.
I am not sure why Mr Harcourt was entrusted with adapting what is surely the most important episode of Poirot ever to air, as he had not previously adapted any episodes. Surely Anthony Horowitz, Douglas Watkinson or David Renwick would have done far better jobs? Would it have hurt ITV to have brought back the wonderful scripts from Poirot's previous incarnation? Even Nick Dear, whose new scripts are still faithful to the novels (Three Act Tragedy, Mrs McGinty's Dead) would have done a fantastic job. Yet Mr Harcourt has made this the most disappointing Poirot episode ever.
Poirot is grossly out of character, too, which is part of the 'twist' on the original - Poirot's 'battle with his conscience' over what to do with the murderers. There is a scene where he prays, clutching a rosary (which he also does at the end, after he speaks to the policeman) - this over-Catholicism of Poirot is highly unnecessary and is never spoken of previously. The constant referral to Poirot's 'moral struggle' with how to deal with the murderers is beyond irritating, and acts as padding after the rushed mystery is concluded.
Poirot shouts and speaks in a gravelly voice, which is not him at all! David Suchet cannot be blamed for this, however, as he did not write the lines where Poirot shouts or talks about justice and morality. The moral, sentimental rubbish is something which television usually, and rightly, stays clear of, and unfortunately it has been brought into the jewel in ITV's crown. The episode almost becomes religious propaganda with the maid's constant babbling about Jesus, which is not in the novel. Is Mr Harcourt a priest, perhaps?
Despite this, the episode is lavishly and sumptuously staged on the Orient express, and beautifully directed. The episode also benefits from a stellar cast - Hugh Bonneville, Barbara Hershey, Samuel West, Toby Jones, David Morrissey and Eileen Atkins, but I can't help but feel that their efforts were wasted on this poor script.
I sincerely hope that ITV bucks up their ideas when choosing scriptwriters, and that they do not make a mess of 'Curtain: Poirot's Last Case' - which is another excellent novel, and one that requires Captain Hastings. Let's hope they see sense, and not let Stewart Harcourt anywhere near an Agatha Christie script ever again.
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries: The Rising of the Moon (2000)
'There's no point doing these things half-cock' - A third entry in the Mrs Bradley canon
Please ignore the previous reviewer. The Mrs Bradley Mysteries are one of the best 'whodunits' around, and this episode is no exception. When one of the performers at Madame Marlene's travelling circus is murdered, suspicion falls upon another performer who had had an argument with the victim. Delving in further, Mrs Bradley finds some deep, dark secrets...
This episode has a great, slightly darker atmosphere to it, but the humour is retained when George has to have knives thrown at him-all part of Mrs Bradley's slightly unorthodox process of detection. The final scene puts Adela herself in peril, and she makes a rather gruesome discovery in a cauldron... But it is another great episode, and features guests such as the ever-excellent Nicholas Woodeson, Meera Syal and Peter Davison as Inspector Henry Christmas.
As ever, costumes (Mrs B's hats!), music and period detail are brilliant and 1920s to a T. Splendid!
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries: Laurels Are Poison (2000)
'I hear the gamekeeper did it, madam' - Mrs Bradley, Lady Chatterley and a ghost or two...
This is the fourth Mrs Bradley mystery, and is not quite as good as the other four. The humour is significantly lacking in this episode, and the mystery is not so good. There is a sad tone throughout, particularly the subplot about George's brother and Phyllida Law not even cracking a smile for the duration. Blackmail features in this one, but the answer to the riddle is still a fairly good one. Ghosts feature too-who IS the mysterious soldier with the lamp?
'Laurels are Poison' has been somewhat significantly altered from Gladys Mitchell's original; but don't let that put you off. Diana Rigg is simply marvellous as Mrs Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, so it is well worth a watch.
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries: The Worsted Viper (2000)
'There are three golden rules for bringing up children. Alas nobody knows what they are.' - The final, and best, Mrs Bradley Mystery
'The Worsted Viper' is a fantastic end to this wonderful series. Please ignore the previous reviewer's comments, as they clearly have an axe to grind over something. This episode is funny, with plenty of Mrs Bradley's asides to the camera, and an amusing subplot featuring Mrs B and Inspector Christmas-and George and the hotel owner (Isla Blair)...
This episode has a very good plot which will leave you guessing until the very end. Satanic rituals, smuggling and an ancient cult are the main elements which Mrs Bradley has to work with, and she does so triumphantly. The case investigated is linked to Mrs B's very first case-and it is not long before the solution clicks into place.
Although significantly altered from Gladys Mitchell's original (and extremely rare) novel, which in itself is worth a read if you can lay your hands on a copy, this is still excellent.
It is a great shame that no more episodes of this fantastic crime drama were made; as ever here the costumes and period detail are superb, the music wonderfully evocative of the '20s, and Diana Rigg and Neil Dudgeon are on top form. This is a crime drama that can be watched over and over again-and your enjoyment will grow on each viewing.
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries: Speedy Death (1998)
'The countryside-a place where the birds and animals wander about uncooked.' -The first of the wonderful Mrs Bradley Mysteries
'Scary biscuits!' exclaims a character in the first of five excellent whodunits in this series. And it's not hard to see why they exclaim this. The body of Everard Mountjoy, engaged to the paralysed Eleanor Bing (an excellent Emma Fielding), is found drowned in his bathtub. But something very unexpected is discovered. Everard Mountjoy was a woman.
This is only the start of a very good 'country-house' style murder mystery with a clever ending. However the mystery is not the only aspect of this production. Humour plays a big role, and Mrs Bradley's little asides to the camera are one of the joys of the series. The best part, however, is Mrs Bradley's reconstruction of the crime-poor George, who is subjected to being 'drowned' at the hands of Adela Bradley.
All in all, wonderful. Diana Rigg is perfect as Mrs Bradley, the costumes and period detail are excellent, so this is definitely worth watching.
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries: Death at the Opera (2000)
'Home, Harmony and Humility... Hogwash!' - Mrs Bradley triumphs again
Pay no attention to the previous reviewer. The Mrs Bradley Mysteries are brilliant; and this episode is no exception.
During a performance of The Mikado at Mrs Bradley's alma mater ('Gilbert and Sullivan... I wish they'd never met'), the body of Miss Ferris is found. It seems that she died of a heart attack-but Mrs Bradley finds some scratch marks on the door and varnish under Miss Ferris's fingernails. These are the start of Mrs Bradley's investigation.
She discovers hidden secrets, illicit lovers and a secret diary. Humour in this episode is excellent again-especially when George has to stop an art teacher going to his room by modelling for the ladies' art class...
Death at the Opera has been significantly changed from Gladys Mitchell's original novel, with only one thing the same - the identity of the victim. The source material is just as good, and I believe they should be viewed as separate things; Death at the Opera is currently in print from Vintage Books, and is well worth a read - it is an affectionate send-up of the genre, and a masterpiece of fair-play clueing a la Christie.
Overall, another great mystery, not the best in the series, but worth it for Diana Rigg's wonderful performance alone.
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries (1998)
'I'm going to bed with Sigmund Freud...' - One of the best mystery series ever.
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries is based on the series of novels by Gladys Mitchell; a contemporary of Agatha Christie. The show's title sleuth, Mrs Bradley, is elegantly and wittily played by the fantastic Diana Rigg, and ably assisted by chauffeur George, played by Neil Dudgeon. There is fantastic chemistry between the two, and the relationship between them brings up many laughs in the series!
The mysteries themselves are somewhat altered from the novels, but they are still excellent. The first, 'Speedy Death', (90 minutes) is a very Agatha Christie-like country house puzzle. The conclusion is startling and very clever, along with a very good subplot involving George and a housemaid. The rest of the series is four 60 minute episodes. The first, 'Death at the Opera', is very funny indeed, although it is a little far-fetched. This is followed by 'The Rising of the Moon', a better story but not quite as humorous. 'Laurels are Poison' is the strangest of the series, an episode involving ghosts and affairs. However, the series ends with the fantastic 'The Worsted Viper'. The plot may be a little odd, but you will never see the murderer coming, and it is the funniest of the series, with Mrs Bradley giving us some very good one-liners.
The costumes, sets and casting is superb. Mrs Bradley's hats steal the show! What I cannot understand is why the series was not continued; it is simply marvellous. Funny, clever, witty and well acted-it is well worth viewing.