I'm kind of pissed right now, because my Before Sunrise Netflix DVD sounded like I was putting it in a garbage disposal instead of the DVD player, so now I have to send it back, and I was REALLY looking forward to finally watching it. And now, since I'm a bit perturbed, I put in a different Netflix disc that I don't have to care quite as much about. I'm always up for any Agatha Christie adaptation, especially one I've not seen. Also, this is absolutely one of my favorite Christie novels, right up there with And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Murder on the Orient Express. It will be interesting to watch this after having read the novel a few times and see how faithful it is.
The cast, by the way, is as star-studded as it gets: Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, David Niven, Maggie Smith, George Kennedy, as well as some more minor notables.
Hysterically, Angela Lansbury plays an author (though of slutty romance, this time) and is a perfect Salome Otterbourne. Peter Ustinov is no David Suchet, but also the character is not what I would consider an accurate portrayal of the Poirot I've read so much of. And now, I can't go any further without mentioning how awful Lois Chiles is as Linnet Ridgeway. Thank God she's the one who gets killed.
Unfortunately for this adaptation, the part that it chooses to pare down effect very strongly is the character of Rosalie Otterbourne (Olivia Hussey), who in the novel was charming, intelligent, and insightful. In the movie, she's almost nonexistent and is perpetually turning away from the camera or putting her head down, or making excuses for Angela Lansbury.
A mediocre adaptation, at best. Read the novel for the purest enjoyment and craft.
Score: 6/10
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