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Global Telly Talk
Classic UK TV
“One does see so much evil, I fear”: Watching Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple
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<blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 389361" data-attributes="member: 23"><p style="text-align: center"><strong><u><span style="font-size: 18px">A Caribbean Mystery</span></u></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://www.silversirens.co.uk/pictures/thumb6_caribbean-mystery-1989-opening-credits-1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 721px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw1280%2F8MckoxPymw66jWzbb3AYiMEYuwx.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=2db8f6b82d2307ff2343505e758496b8f734ac1378a6ada13bb5710a1c574d9a&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 721px" /></p><p></p><p>This is the first of the “final three”: the adaptions which contractually had to be filmed last since, at the time this series began, Warner Bros. co-owned the rights for three Christie titles for their own adaptions. I covered this when writing about <em>Nemesis</em>, and it’s interesting to see the other side of that particular coin.</p><p></p><p>Fortunately, I was aware of the change of actor for Jason Rafiel. Donald Pleasence never fails to entertain and this is no exception. For the first third of this film I was a little distracted trying to remind me who I was reminded of upon hearing his accent and delivery. Then it struck me: Michael Caine!</p><p></p><p>Along these lines, another amusing distraction was Sue Lloyd’s appalling American accent.</p><p></p><p>Besides these and the wonderful Joan Hickson, most of the rest of the cast weren’t that well-known to me, which I find a bonus. There were some familiar faces, certainly, but none that I’d recognise and be able to name on sight. The one who drove me to distraction in this instalment was Sheila Ruskin who looked for all the world like Olivia Colman had stepped back in time. I still feel like I know her well for a specific role, but can’t place what and IMDb hasn’t jogged my memory.</p><p></p><p>Truthfully, I wasn’t overly looking forward to this story on the basis that the Caribbean backdrop felt too far removed from the typical English village with which I associate the character of Jane Marple. Actually the Englishwoman abroad concept worked incredibly well (Jane of course, being someone who wouldn’t be averse to taking this kind of holiday to rejuvenate, just as Agatha Christie herself would) and all the pieces fitted perfectly into place.</p><p></p><p>Is the aftermath of Victoria’s death the bloodiest scene yet shown in this series? It certainly felt like it as I watched and the camera pulling back to reveal this bloody tableau, jagged knife and all, gave me a little jolt. It also felt exciting to see the “Nemesis” moniker given context here.</p><p></p><p>This instalment - aired five years almost to the day of the very first one - came a full two years after <em>4:50 From Paddington</em>, marking the biggest gap so far between stories. It shows a little, with Joan Hickson having aged visibly and appearing decidedly frailer than when last we saw her. With Jane said to have been unwell, though, this does work a little in the story’s favour and could even be partially deliberate. It will be another two years again between this story and the next, and it’s sad to think there are only two left.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mel O'Drama, post: 389361, member: 23"] [CENTER][B][U][SIZE=5]A Caribbean Mystery[/SIZE][/U][/B] [IMG width="721px"]https://www.silversirens.co.uk/pictures/thumb6_caribbean-mystery-1989-opening-credits-1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="721px"]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw1280%2F8MckoxPymw66jWzbb3AYiMEYuwx.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=2db8f6b82d2307ff2343505e758496b8f734ac1378a6ada13bb5710a1c574d9a&ipo=images[/IMG][/CENTER] This is the first of the “final three”: the adaptions which contractually had to be filmed last since, at the time this series began, Warner Bros. co-owned the rights for three Christie titles for their own adaptions. I covered this when writing about [I]Nemesis[/I], and it’s interesting to see the other side of that particular coin. Fortunately, I was aware of the change of actor for Jason Rafiel. Donald Pleasence never fails to entertain and this is no exception. For the first third of this film I was a little distracted trying to remind me who I was reminded of upon hearing his accent and delivery. Then it struck me: Michael Caine! Along these lines, another amusing distraction was Sue Lloyd’s appalling American accent. Besides these and the wonderful Joan Hickson, most of the rest of the cast weren’t that well-known to me, which I find a bonus. There were some familiar faces, certainly, but none that I’d recognise and be able to name on sight. The one who drove me to distraction in this instalment was Sheila Ruskin who looked for all the world like Olivia Colman had stepped back in time. I still feel like I know her well for a specific role, but can’t place what and IMDb hasn’t jogged my memory. Truthfully, I wasn’t overly looking forward to this story on the basis that the Caribbean backdrop felt too far removed from the typical English village with which I associate the character of Jane Marple. Actually the Englishwoman abroad concept worked incredibly well (Jane of course, being someone who wouldn’t be averse to taking this kind of holiday to rejuvenate, just as Agatha Christie herself would) and all the pieces fitted perfectly into place. Is the aftermath of Victoria’s death the bloodiest scene yet shown in this series? It certainly felt like it as I watched and the camera pulling back to reveal this bloody tableau, jagged knife and all, gave me a little jolt. It also felt exciting to see the “Nemesis” moniker given context here. This instalment - aired five years almost to the day of the very first one - came a full two years after [I]4:50 From Paddington[/I], marking the biggest gap so far between stories. It shows a little, with Joan Hickson having aged visibly and appearing decidedly frailer than when last we saw her. With Jane said to have been unwell, though, this does work a little in the story’s favour and could even be partially deliberate. It will be another two years again between this story and the next, and it’s sad to think there are only two left. [/QUOTE]
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Classic UK TV
“One does see so much evil, I fear”: Watching Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple
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