Poirot: Hallowe'en Party

Poirot concluded what - in my opinion - has been its most entertaining run in years on Masterpiece Mystery with a rather out of season, but wildly entertaining, adaptation of Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie. Here's the story summary from the PBS website:

"I saw a murder once...I did! I did!" boasts a clumsy, disliked girl at a Halloween party. For this, she is ridiculed and dismissed. But before the party's end, she is dead, snuffed out in an apple-bobbing tub. Party guest Ariadne Oliver — never again to consume another apple — summons her old friend Hercule Poirot for help and the gallant sleuth is only too happy to oblige. With the dubious help of the grisly old village witch and the wildly speculative mystery writer Oliver, Poirot must investigate old sins and discover the connections between a years-old stabbing, a Russian au pair, and a forgery to unmask a dangerous killer, all before another corpse surfaces. Adapted by Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and based on the novel by Agatha Christie, Hallowe'en Party stars David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, Zoë Wanamaker as Ariadne Oliver, and Deborah Findlay (Cranford).

I never really paid that much attention to the name Mark Gatiss until Sherlock aired on Masterpiece last year, and I was smacked full upside the head with the realization that the man is, apparently, a genius. So I went into Hallowe'en Party with high expectations after learning that Gatiss penned the script, and I have to say I was not disappointed in the least. This episode was based on yet another Agatha Christie novel I have yet to read (shocking, I know), but I loved this presentation. The story and characters felt fully realized and the sense of drama and atmosphere was superb. I've never been one for "celebrating" Halloween, but I like I good spooky film (in the Christie vein, anyways), and this film did such an excellent job evoking fall, the fun of costumes, and spooky stories that I can see myself making an annual tradition of watching Hallowe'en Party.

This story once again features the mystery writer Ariadne Oliver. Fantastically played by Zoe Wanamaker, Oliver is really a delightful foil to the always proper and reserved Poirot. It seems a little odd to say that Poirot has "chemistry" with anyone, but Suchet and Wanamaker play off each other so well in their respective roles that their scenes together are a joy to watch. They bring a real sense of camraderie and history to Oliver and Poirot's friendship. Wanamaker has appeared three previous times as Oliver in a Poirot adaptation - the first time in Cards on the Table, back when A&E was airing Poirot films, and the second and third outings on Masterpiece in Mrs McGinty's Dead and Third Girl. When McGinty initially aired on Masterpiece two years ago (my review), I was not that impressed with the episode (though I will admit it improves on DVD). I am planning to review Third Girl soon (I promise! *wink*). As far as Ms. Oliver goes, the fourth time may be the charm, as I thoroughly enjoyed Wanamaker's sly humor and dry asides throughout the storyline.

Hallowe'en Party opens with a motley assortment of children and adults gathered at Rowena Drake's home for a party. The opening twenty minutes or so were fantastic simply on the basis of the sheer amount of period detail crammed into every frame of film. From the home and its decor to the costumes and games the children played, Mrs. Drake's party was like a little time capsule of 1930s Halloween festivities. Rowena Drake is played by Deborah Findlay, who should be a familiar face to fans of Masterpiece. Findlay played Miss Phoebe in Wives and Daughters, appeared in episodes of Foyle's War and Inspector Lewis, and plays Miss Tomkinson in Cranford. It's a credit to both the script and Findlay's acting talent that I totally bought into her character arc for this film (look at me, trying to avoid spoilers...). :P Rowena's children are basically filler (and largely unlikable) characters, but it's interesting to note that Edmund is played by Ian Hallard, who appeared in Marple: The Sittaford Mystery, while Frances is played by the much more familiar Georgia King, who has appeared in Jane Eyre, The Shadow in the North, and Little Dorrit.

When the universally maligned Joyce (Macy Nyman) is found dead, face-first in the apple-bobbing tub (how's that for drama?), Ariadne calls Poirot for assistance in the investigation, since she's laid up with a bad cold. Just prior to her death, Joyce claimed to have seen a murder once - an assertion that's universally dismissed as ridiculous until she's found murdered. I found this crime pretty shocking - perhaps some fellow Christie aficionadoes can help me out. I can't recall another story where a child's murder is central to the investigation. Surely I'm forgetting something - so please chime in!

En route to investigate, Poirot meets gardener extraordinaire Michael on the train, who suggests that he talk with the local gossip Mrs. Goodbody (Paola Dionisotti) to see if there could be any truth to Joyce's incredible claim. Michael is played by Julian Rhind-Tutt (isn't his name AWESOME?!), who I must confess to thinking is rather handsome here - and more's the pity since he seems to have a predisposition to playing less-than-heroic characters. *sigh* He's appeared in Marple, Stardust, The Shadow in the North, and Merlin, to name a few of his credits.

Mrs. Goodbody wastes no time in enlightening Poirot as to the town's dark secrets - and this, people, is one of the many reasons I love Agatha Christie's stories (and these films, even when they deviate from the source material). NO ONE could take a seemingly idyllic small-town setting such as we find in the beginning of Hallowe'en Party and slowly peel back layer by layer of subterfuge and secrets to reveal the dark and tangled motives for murder found beneath a cheerful veneer. *delicious shivers all around*

There are a couple of notable cast members that I simply cannot go without mentioning. First up, it was great to see the venerable Timothy West as the town's Reverend Cottrell. West appeared in the quiz show-themed episode Your Sudden Death Question of Inspector Lewis last year (my review) and played Sir Leicester Dedlock in the absolutely sublime Bleak House. It was also fantastic to see Sophie Thompson, Emma's sister, on-screen again, even if it was in a rather thankless and under-utilized role as the unfortunate Joyce's mother. Thompson should be a very familiar face to fans of period drama - she played Miss Bates in the 1996 Emma, and appeared in Gosford Park and Nicholas Nickleby.

As Poirot uncovers the roots of Joyce's murder, he discovers that the foolish words that doomed her were rooted in a history of affairs, forged documents, and murder - juicy stuff here people, these are the ingredients of Masterpiece Mystery melodrama at its best! *wink* I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode unfold, and high praise to Gatiss for a sharp script and to the actors and production team for delivering such a delicous, atmospheric period piece. If you watched this episode, or you've read the novel, I'd love to hear your thoughts. This has to rank as a favorite Suchet-as-Poirot performance - he really seemed to be on fire this episode, and Poirot was by turns positively brimming with his trademark incisiveness, dry wit, warmth, and quirkiness. :)

This run of Poirot episodes has been simply outstanding. I will always find something to enjoy in even less-than-perfect Poirot films (can't really beat David Suchet in his element, eh?), but the three films aired on Masterpiece Mystery this season have really set the bar high as far as quality and sheer entertainment value. Here's the link round-up:

• Watch Hallowe'en Party online through 8/2/11
• Read my review of Three Act Tragedy
• Read my review of The Clocks
• Preorder Hallowe'en Party on DVD as part of Poirot Set 6
• Order the original novel from Amazon

Inspector Lewis: Your Sudden Death Question

I can’t believe I haven’t been able to blog about the fourth episode of Inspector Lewis yet! Your Sudden Death Question aired this past Sunday on Masterpiece Mystery, and as is the norm for this stellar series it delivered another engrossing story with enough twists and turns to keep your head spinning. Here’s the story summary from the PBS website:

It's a quiet holiday weekend and the Oxford campus has emptied out. But the competition is still fierce — and deadly — thanks to a group of quiz enthusiasts who have convened to compete for a cash prize and bragging rights. Foul play is afoot when one contestant, a charming but lecherous primary school teacher, is found dead in a fountain. The campus is locked down, and Detective Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Detective Sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox) start interviewing the other contestants — among them Oxford academics, young mothers, students, soldiers and lawyers. Is this a crime of passion or out-of-control competition? Lewis and Hathaway match wits with the contestants and race for answers as the game takes one final, grim turn.

First of all, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed getting a brief glimpse into Lewis and Hathaway’s off-duty lives (especially Hathaway’s, I cannot lie). Just when I think this series can’t possible reveal more about Hathaway’s character for me to love, we discover that he plays guitar and looks really, really good in jeans. *g* Unexpected but absolutely perfect, these touches add great dimension to his character. And speaking of surprises, seeing Lewis in a tux, getting ready to go to the opera – well that was a shocker, no? He’s been closed off emotionally for so much of the series due to the untimely death of his wife that it was really sweet to see him getting ready for a “friends” date with Dr. Laura Hobson (Clare Holman).

However, I’ve got kind of mixed feelings about how Lewis and Laura’s relationship played out over this episode. I’ve been looking forward to the day when the filmmakers would move these two characters in the relationship direction, but ultimately things felt a bit rushed for me. There were brief, fleeting hints during earlier episodes of this season that gave me hope that Lewis was warming up to the idea of dating Laura. But finding out they’d planned a weekend getaway to see the opera (with separate hotel rooms, though, as Laura is quick to point out later) seemed like a giant leap forward for the pair. I guess it struck me as a bit out of character since I’m used to things moving forward rather slowly for my beloved main characters in the Inspector Lewis universe.  But maybe that’s just me…thoughts?

As far as the actual murder mystery goes, I really enjoyed the quiz weekend set up. Since Oxford emptied out so people could enjoy the long weekend, the pool of suspects was very limited and controllable. The set up reminded me just a bit of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, especially since the police could order the porter to keep everyone locked on the grounds pending investigation results. As far as the cast goes, to my recollection this episode contained fewer than the usual normal “quota” of familiar faces that populate the British acting world. However, there are a few cast members that I definitely want to call out.

First and foremost, I have to mention Nicholas Ferrell as Charles Milner, one half of the “Grey Guardians” quiz team. I really don’t want to spoil anything if you’ve yet to see this episode, but I thought Milner’s character was fascinating – just when you think the filmmakers are going to go right with the character, they veer to the left and surprise you with revelations about his past, work, and possible motivations. Very well done. The other half of the Grey Guardians, Donald Terry, was played by actor Timothy West. West should be a very familiar face to fans of BBC costume dramas since he played Sir Leicester Dedlock in the wonderful Bleak House. The first victim, Ethan Croft, is played by Adam James – observant Foyle’s War fans may recognize him from the episode Killing Time. Ethan’s character is another great example of just how well written this series is – when he’s introduced you think he’s just a lech, and ultimately he is, but by the end of the story some unexpectedly admirable traits are revealed. Ethan’s forgotten ex-girlfriend member of another quiz team is Robyn Strong, played by Ruth Gemmell. Gemmell appeared in series 3 of Primeval, episodes three and four as a reporter. (I really, really need to go back and rewatch Primeval from the beginning, since – WOO-HOO – the show is slated to FINALLY return to TV sometime in 2011!!) Those are the faces that really jumped out at me during my initial viewing of this episode. There are a few other familiar faces who have made random appearances on British shows (such as Poirot or Miss Marple), but in relatively small roles if memory serves.

The absolute runaway highlight of this episode for me was once again the development of the friendship between Lewis and Hathaway. Now that Lewis is finally pursuing a relationship with Laura, Hathaway has a field day teasing him about it - those scenes were hilarious! When Hathaway’s precious Gibson guitar is stolen during his abbreviated holiday weekend at a world music festival, he’s crushed. Lewis takes an unexpected but wonderful to see interest in helping his despondent partner track down his stolen property. It was really fun to see how Lewis has been influenced by working with Hathaway for several years now during this little side investigation, or the “Gibson angle” as they dub it when asked by the Chief Superintendent. In his off the books investigation of Hathaway’s theft, he takes on his younger, more media-savvy partner’s role, and it was hilarious to see Hathaway’s reaction to the role reversal. And the moment at the very end of the episode, where Hathaway stands outside the police station hugging his guitar case, a look of pure bliss on his face, was absolutely priceless. This team just keeps getting better & better!

I love this show, and despite my hesitation over the way Lewis and Laura seem to be rushing into a relationship rather quickly, I'm anxious to see where these characters are headed. The joy is in the journey, as they say, and Lewis and Hathaway are characters that are always worth spending time with - especially since they solve some of the most surprising, well-crafted mysteries one could wish for.

Note: Since I'm so late in blogging about this episode, I nearly forgot the most exciting bit of casting - Laurence Fox's brother Jack in the role of student and quiz competitor Alfie. According to his IMDB page, this is only Jack's second acting credit, but he's such a dish and with the acting blood he's got in his genes I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him on-screen (at least I hope so!). Here's the only pic I could find online - the Fox family shortly after the birth of Laurence & Billie Piper's first child.

James Fox, Laurence, Mary Fox, and Jack