Change Your Image
phil-91331
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
One Life (2023)
A true hero !
Nicholas Winton became widely known in Britain decades ago when the "That's Life !" TV programme revealed his role in organising the Kindertransport trains which saved over 600 Jewish children from almost-certain death in a Czechoslovakia which had been controlled by Nazi Germany since it invaded the Sudentenland in 1938 by bringing them to Britain.
The film alternates between the 1930s and modern times and both Anthony Hopkins (playing the older Winton) and Johnny Flynn (playing the younger Winton) are excellent - as is Helen Bonham Carter playing Winton's mother.
One of the most moving sections is Winton's endless regret for the fact that the 250 children on the ninth - and last - train could not be saved as the train was due to leave Prague station on 1st September 1939 - the day on which Britain declared war on Germany.
A most moving film and I defy anyone who watches it to deny that they have had to brush away tears from time to time.
This film deserves to be as well-regarded as Schindler's List.
Marple: By the Pricking of My Thumbs (2006)
Dreadful ! Dreadful ! Dreadful !
Unfortunately IMDB does not allow zero ratings.
As soon as you see anything made by ITV here in Britain under the "Agatha Christie's Marple" series title you can be sure you will be disappointed !
Agatha Christie's works didn't achieve their world-wide fame for nothing but this episode, like all the othersn starts by taking the original and throwing most of it away.
In this case :-
The original doesn't even feature Miss Marple - it's one of the 'Tommy & Tuppence' stories.
Geraldine McEwan is completely wrong as Miss Marple - she's a very quiet spinster who talks to people and listens to what they say and gradually comes to the right answer. McEwan busts in like a bull in a china shop.
Unfortunately, in the original Lily Waters hasn't been murdered, it's the stage name used by Stark's wife when she was a ballet dancer.
The characterisations written for most of the cast are completely different from the original.
Unfortunately, I can't refer you to an infinitely-better BBC version as I don't believe that they made one - the Miss Marples made with Joan Hickson are, of course, the best. Agatha Christie herself wanted Hickson to play the role.
Therefore save some of your life and don't waste any of it watching this tripe !
Marple (2004)
AVOID
This series has been cobbled together - and it shows ! There are badly destroyed plots, plots joined together, characters not in the origigal Agatha Christie works and extra murders and different murderers. In particular, Geraldine McEwan overplays to a ridiculous extent - did she not know that Miss Marple is a quiet old lady, not a strident interfering nuisance ? Many of the other characters overact to a dreadful extent - but the younger ones never learnt to act on the stage, only in films.
Niether of the featured 'Miss Marples' is a patch on the excellent Joan Hickson - the actress who Agatha Christie WANTED to play the character.
Avoid this rubbish and stick to Joan Hickson !
Forbidden History (2013)
NOT history !
A series largely based on the speculations of so-called 'experts' who have no qualifications in their fields.
Given a choice of three possible explanations of anything, the programme will always choose the one with the least hard evidence to back it up.
Don't waste your time watching this rubbish.
Jason and the Argonauts (2000)
Don't waste your time !
Don't waste a single second of your life watching ths appalling drivel ! I would have given it 0/10 if it were possibe.
Watch the 1963 film version ad have an experience you'll enjoy instead.
The ABC Murders (2018)
What a travesty !
This dreadful production was advertised as "Agatha Christie's Poirot" - one thing os certain, it certainly wasn't much to do with Christie herself ! If you listen carefully, you can hear her spinning in her grave.
At kleast here in the UK, TV productions of Christie mysteries - whether MIss Marple or Poirot are deviating widely from the novels since the Christie family sold their rights to America.
Just a few of the failings of this production :-
No Inspector Japp - conveniently killed off in the first part of episode 1
No Captain Hastings at all
Severe doubts expressed by Scotland Yard as to whether Poirot had even been in the Belgian police - despite this beinmg made clear many times in the novels - he was, at one time, HEAD of the Belgian police
The mad suggestion that Poirot had oonce been a Catholic priest - he's certainly Catholic but there's no suggestiion anywhere that he had ever been a priest
A FIFTH murder ?
Since when does any true adaptation of a Christie story reqiuire warnings about 'adult themes' ? There were some apparently sadomasochistic scenes.
I, unwisely, watches all three episodes - and wished that I hadnt't. Thankfully, a few days later, I was able to enjoy the excellent Suchet version of The ABC Murders on UK TV.