Poirot: Three Act Tragedy

Masterpiece Mystery (finally) kicked off its new season properly last night with a brand-new Hercule Poirot episode entitled Three Act Tragedy. I found this episode to be a thoroughly enjoyable, stylish entry into the Poirot film canon. Now, I have yet to read the original novel by Agatha Christie, but a cursory glance at the book's Wikipedia page reveals that - shockingly - this film seems to be a pretty faithful adaptation of Christie's story. Is this a new trend? (I'm not going to hold my breath. *wink*) Here's the episode summary from the PBS website:

When an elderly Cornish vicar suddenly drops dead at a party, everyone looks to fellow guest Hercule Poirot to solve the murder. But the Belgian super-sleuth sees no foul play, correctly predicting that analysis of the clergyman's glass will yield nothing more than the remains of an excellent dry martini.

Before long, however, Poirot is summoned back to England from his boredom among the palms and irksome children of Monte Carlo. Another death among the same revelers has occurred, this time, indisputably, murder.

With the help of two enthusiastic amateurs — his old friend, the retired stage actor Sir Charles Cartwright, and Charles's jaunty love interest, Miss "Egg" Lytton Gore, Poirot questions the dramatis personae, as Sir Charles calls the party guests. And as Sir Charles embraces his role, donning a pair of patent-leather spats, Poirot works to unravel a perplexing mystery, building a house of cards, tracking a missing butler, and even hosting his own sherry party — "That is a fashionable thing to do, n'est-ce pas?" David Suchet portrays the fastidious detective Hercule Poirot, with Martin Shaw as Sir Charles Cartwright and Art Malik (Upstairs Downstairs) as Sir Bartholomew Strange, in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel. (One episode; 90 minutes; TV-PG)

First of all, I just have to point out the hilarity in having Poirot conveniently be "best friends" with yet another random person who doesn't seem to know any of Poirot's other "best friends" from his previous stories (much like the penchant for having Miss Marple distantly related to everyone in England). The friend in question this time around is Sir Charles Cartwright, a famous stage actor on the brink of retirement, who has gathered Poirot and an assortment of other friends and acquaintances to his home for a cocktail party. Cartwright is played by Martin Shaw, who I love and adore because of his memorable portrayal of Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel television film series. Cartwright aspires to a May/December romance with young ingenue Miss Lytton Gore, known to her friends as Egg (I kid you not). Egg is played by Kimberley Nixon, who got her start on Masterpiece playing Sophy Hutton in Cranford, followed by a small role in the hilarious film Easy Virtue (my review). It is a testament to my love for Shaw that the forty year age difference between him & Nixon didn't seem *completely* unbelievable. The man has charisma. :)

Cartwright's other best friend is nerve specialist Dr. Bartholomew Strange, played by Art Malik - last seen in Upstairs Downstairs as Mr. Amanjit, and here is nearly unrecognizable without all that hair. Dr. Strange, Egg, and Poirot are the guests of honor at Cartwright's cocktail party, and the shocked witnesses to the sudden death of the kindly vicar Reverend Babbington (Nigel Pegram). The reverend was elderly and harmless - despite the suddenness of his passing, Poirot writes off his death as an unhappy coincidence - until Cartwright brings him the news that his friend Dr. Strange has dropped dead in the same manner at a similar party, held for almost the identical guest list as the first. A closer investigation reveals that a murderer is on the loose - but the disparities between the victims, and the broad assortment of potential motives among the partygoers raise more questions than answers. With the help of his friends and "the little grey cells" Poirot is in a race against the clock to discover the murderer before he can strike again.

As is the norm for this series, the cast is packed with a slew of familiar British acting talent, though in this case most of them serve as investigative red herrings. In addition to the main players I've already discussed, Kate Ashfield, a Masterpiece vet, appears as the ambitious playwright and astute observer of human nature Miss Wills. Ashfield played the role of Miep Gies in The Diary of Anne Frank (my review) and appeared opposite Douglas Henshall in Collision (my review). Anastasia Hille is a Mystery veteran, having appeared in memorable episodes of Inspector Lewis and Foyle's War. Here is plays high-end fashion designer Cynthia Dacres, which is really just an excuse to show case some AMAZING period fashions - seriously, the clothes in this episode were fabulous! Cynthia's husband is a wastrel gambler played by Ronan Vibert, who played a critical role in the Inspector Lewis universe, and is also a Scarlet Pimpernel veteran along with Shaw, where he played THE BEST ROBESPIERRE EVER.

My favorite random cast appearance is Tom Wisdom in the largely thankless role of Egg's rejected lover Oliver Manders. TOTAL EYE CANDY (at least he provides Egg with a nice back-up plan). Wisdom has appeared in modern classics like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (just so you know, I loved that movie) and in the category of so-bad-they're-awesome movies, The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice. The latter is hilariously, wonderfully bad and I love every second of it. Wisdom also bears a more than passing resemblance to Ben Barnes, a.k.a. Prince Caspian. Thoughts?

 Barnes is on the left, and Wisdom is on the right. Amazing, no?

Three Act Tragedy is a stylish, well-constructed little film, and it ranks as one of my favorite Poirot episodes to be released in recent years. I loved the impression the film gave, that it was very intentionally filmed like a play - right down to Shaw's tendency to deliver his lines as though he's declaiming Shakespeare from the stage of the Globe Theatre. From the "scene change" moments featuring items like critical newspaper headlines, to the spotlights that stopped the action to shine on a murder victim, the whole film felt like a deliciously stylized 1930s-era play. And the "reveal" at the end of the investigation is perhaps one of my favorite Poirot moments ever. Suchet lets Poirot relish, just a bit, the detective's moment in the spotlight when he hijacks a play rehearsal. I've always gotten the feeling that Poirot thinks the world revolves around him, and for a few fantastic moments in Three Act Tragedy it does, and my favorite Belgian detective holds his audience captive.

If you caught this episode, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Especially if you've read the novel - based on the summary info online, I'm still rather shocked by how faithful the film seems to have remained to the book's essential elements. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and look forward to revisiting it in the future!

• Watch Three Act Tragedy online through 7/19/11
• Preorder Three Act Tragedy as part of Poirot Movie Collection Set 6

New Poirot episodes start tomorrow!

I am thrilled that brand-new episodes of Poirot start on Masterpiece Mystery tomorrow night with the premiere of Three Act Tragedy. Here's a bit about the story:

Join Hercule Poirot in a new whodunit with a cast of suspicious characters, a tray of dry but potentially deadly martinis, and murder on center stage. Three Act Tragedy airs Sunday, June 19, 2011 on MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! Art Malik (Upstairs Downstairs) and Kimberley Nixon (Cranford) join David Suchet as he reprises his signature role as Agatha Christie's suave Belgian sleuth.

Easy Virtue

Spoilers...

I just got back from seeing Easy Virtue with Lori. During the credits I was trying to think of a brief way to sum up the movie and the phrase delightfully subersive came to mind. We've been wating for a month now for it to come to a theater in our area (it opened in limited release on May 22nd - I will not bore you with my rant about how much I hate limited release dates). It's a fun little film and I thought it was SO worth the wait! The movie is based on a play by Noel Coward, which I must own to not being familiar with in the least. If the summary of the play on Wikipedia is accurate, the screenplay closely follows the original story in many respects, while tweaking Larita's backstory a bit and making the Colonel much more interesting IMO.

So a bit about the story...

Young and extremely immature John Whittaker (Ben Barnes, a.k.a. Prince Caspian) falls hard for Larita (Jessica Biel), a glamorous, free-thinking American woman - who just happens to be a racecar driver - and after a whirlwind affair they marry. When they descend on John's family, worlds collide when the straight-laced Whittaker family meets John's rather, *ahem*, unconventional bride. Larita tries her best to win over the family, but Mrs. Whittaker (Kristin Scott Thomas) isn't going to have any of that, and she's determined to save John from his folly and see him take up his responsibilities as heir of the estate. John's sisters, Hilda (Kimberley Nixon, also played Sophy Hutton in Cranford) and Marion (Katherine Parkinson), waffle between being intrigued by Larita and aiding and abetting their mother in her attempts to drive a wedge between the newlyweds. (You couldn't ask for a better wicked stepmother and stepsisters on film IMO!) When John's affections start to waver, Larita determines to fight back, and soon she must decide whether to sacrifice her individuality or make a break for freedom.

Easy Virtue, for the most part, is a light, fluffy, drawing-room comedy but it touches on some serious issues like the aftermath of war on survivors and lots and lots of marital discord. I was really reminded of the film A Good Woman, which I haven't watched in FAR too long. I thought the pacing was excellent (never a dull moment in this flick!) and the settings and costumes were gorgeous - absolutely top-notch! There was almost too much to absorb in just one viewing.

Jessica Biel really impressed me here - her turn as Larita probably ranks equal with my other favorite role of hers as Sophie in The Illusionist. She's gradually convincing me that she can take on period roles and do them credit. Here she wears the elegant 1920s-era costumes and the time period fits her like a glove. I was also quite impressed with the depth Biel gives Larita's character as the film progresses. When you're first introduced to her you really have no idea of the baggage she has in her past - she conceals it well, so it's all the more heart-breaking as it's revealed. And I had no idea this girl can SING! You can listen to a clip of her singing "Mad About the Boy" on Amazon.

Speaking of surprising singers, Ben Barnes's voice completely blew me away. (I'm also blown away by the fact that this is apparently the 1st time I've looked at his IMDB page, since I never connected the dots and realized he played the young Dunstan in Stardust.) His singing initially made me really like the character of John (his voice and presence fits the arrangments and setting of the film well) - however, eventually you realize the voice is the best thing about John as he's an annoyingly wishy-washy fellow. Seriously the guy needs grow some and take charge of his life, yeesh. Barnes is 28 this year, but he's got a bit of a ways to go before he can sell me on the idea that he's capable of playing a mature role. Between John Whittaker and Caspian, he's perpetually stuck in my head as a 20-year-old or thereabouts.

Oh, before I forget I must note Charlotte Riley's turn as Sarah Hurst, John's childhood friend and one-time hopeful sweetheart. I first saw Riley as Cathy in the latest version of Wuthering Heights - and the difference in the roles of Cathy and Sarah have both left me quite impressed with her skill. You really can't help but admire and like Sarah - John throws her over with very little thought, yet she manages to rise above the hurt and become Larita's friend and occasional advocate. Given how John's mother so obviously longs for Sarah as a daughter-in-law, it's pretty unbelievable - but nice - that Sarah takes the Larita turn of events so maturely. And speaking of Mrs. Whittaker, WHAT is the appeal of Kristin Scott Thomas as an actress? I have such a hard time watching her for some reason - but that actually worked in my favor because my natural annoyance fit with the character.

Colin Firth's turn as Mr. Whittaker, John's father and a survivor of the Great War, is really interesting to me. Firth is sort of playing against type - well known as the heroic, romantic leading type thanks to, primarily, his breakout role as Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, it's a bit weird to see him play someone who's so burned out with his life that he just doesn't care at all. In fact it just hit me, but Mr. Whittaker is a bit like Mr. Bennet in P&P - both are long-suffering, henpecked husbands, but Whittaker's character is more of a loose cannon. Whittaker's a bit of a rake and a scruffy one to boot, but he carries so much guilt about being the only man of his generation to survive the war that he's put up with being completely controlled by the manipulations of his wife. He and Larita are kindred spirits and each completely understands the other's baggage - neither can fit into the prescribed roles society demands of them, so in the end it's basically a choice of curling up and dying or making a break for it.

The turning point scene where Whittaker and Larita tango is TO DIE FOR PEOPLE, SERIOUSLY. Yowzers!! :)

I'm going to have to track down a copy of Easy Virtue online or at the library to read it through - if the film is an accurate indication, Coward's got some very interesting and pointed things to say about hypocrisy, and as far as Larita's efforts go, a rather refreshing and respectful view of marriage (i.e., it takes work and no matter what the end outcome it's worth fighting for). Larita works her tail off to keep her husband, but he doesn't even meet her halfway by the end of the movie (can we say stupid & mind-bogglingly immature?!).

This movie was just the breath of fresh air I needed in my day. It delivered some great escapism and some unexpected moments of emotional depth. I'll definitely be adding it to my collection - it'll make a great double-feature with A Good Woman - and enjoying the soundtrack on repeat. Composer Marius de Vries's work on this film was just genius. His arrangements perfectly capture the effervescent feel of the time period, and the way he manages to incorporate contemporary songs like "Sexbomb" and "When the Going Gets Tough" and makes them work CONVINCINGLY in the score blows the mind. Looking forward to seeing this film "confection" again when it comes out on DVD (which will hopefully be soon!).