It isn't very Christie, but it isn't bad

hayesbook

I never thought I'd see gratuitous (but pretty tasteful) nudity in a Christie adaptation! This TV movie feels like it was the pilot for a series, with the husband and wife team of Colonel Reece (in the original it was Colonel Race and he is unmarried) and Dr. Kendall leading us through an updated version of this story -- but it doesn't appear to have been one. To my mind, the Christie original story had more than enough fascination not to be messed with, but this movie doesn't do a terrible job of making it "2003-y" and plausible for the current day at its time. I found myself actually really liking the two "spies" who were solving the case, entirely unlike the original sleuth Colonel Race. I did not like, however, the transformation of the very interesting Anthony Brown character into the Fizz character (a footballer, which doesn't at all fit with the original story, although the actor is good). Still, it worked in its TV-movie way and the acting is pretty decent throughout. If you are looking for old-fashioned Christie, this is not it. But if you like TV movies from the 2000s that are murder mysteries, you will probably enjoy this one. Cool London locations and some beautiful wardrobe selections, too.

score 6/10

hayesbook 13 May 2019

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4846578/