Agatha Christie's Poirot -- The Movie Collection, Set 4 (Acorn, 2009)
Ahhhh. Hercule Poirot, that Belgian detective with his little grey cells. Like Heinlein's Michael Valentine from Stranger in a Strange Land, the fussy little Belgian is a perfect commentator on all things in his adopted home -- none of which he particularly cares for. And he notices everything with his little grey cells. David Suchet, who plays him here, works well for me as Poirot -- a man who bears a more than slight resemblance to Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin, a Batman villain! He has been played on screen by many other actors including Austin Trevor, Sir Peter Ustinov, Albert Finney, Tony Randall, Sir Ian Holm, Martin Gabel, and Alfred Molina, but none works for me as well as Suchet. (Sir Peter Ustinov appears as Poirot more than anyone save David Suchet.) These are the first films in this series which I've seen that had that Hugh Fraser as faithful sidekick Captain Arthur Hastings, Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran as his secretary, Miss Felicity Lemon, since they were terminated as members of the cast. There are earlier films in which he goes on vacation to places like Greece that this happens but they're followed by films in which they are present. This completely changes the tone of the films as Hercule Poirot becomes the focus of the films even more more than he did before. He looks older and fatter here but that too makes sense as the actor is now in his sixties, though I swear based on what he looks like in the interview on the DVD, that he's wearing padding -- enough padding that he looks very penguin-like. Yes, his odd mincing walk and even odder language (which he says is patterned on combining various Flemish and French accents) are the same as they ever were. There are but two stories here with the third disc in this DVD set being a wonderful look at the entire series, as Acorn broke Series Eleven (2008-2009) into multiple sets, with Third Girl and Appointment with Death being in the next set. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead takes place in a small English village with a mix of locals and recent London folk who have settled there. As Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby in Midsomer Murders once said, ''Every time I go into any Midsomer village, it's always the same thing.' Well. the same holds true here. Indeed it could be a Midsomer village fifty years earlier than when Midsomer Murders takes place. Upon the request of a Scotland Yard Superindent who thinks they convicted the wrong man for a brutal murder, Poirot ventures to this small English village to see what really happened. With help from mystery novelist and old friend Ariadne Oliver (played superbly by Zoë Wanamaker), Poirot tries to save that man from hanging for a crime that he might not have committed. As the famous sleuth tracks down the real killer, he finds his own life at risk. Murders will occur, clues will be tossed about, and various eccentrics will add color to the story. I think this is a slightly stronger tale than Cat Among the Pigeons as the plot is better developed. Cat Among the Pigeons is set at Meadowbank School for Girls as it begins the term with a new student, an apparent daughter of royalty and a political refugee hiding from revolutionaries in her native land, giving the headmistress more than a bit of grief. Add in various staff members with secret pasts and when the bodies start turning up, Poirot, who is visiting the school to give out an award, will have lots for his little grey cells to work on. The first murder victim is so obvious that you'll groan at her method of being dispatched. I'll say that later victims are not quite as obvious which is a good thing, but I will say that Cat Among the Pigeons is not as well conceived as Mrs. McGinty’s Dead, which is a delightful romp from beginning to end. Are they worth seeing? Oh. yes. Great acting, amazing fashions, and superb production on both of them make them worthwhile. I look forward to the next set of films!
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