Monday, September 16, 2013

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Links - DVD



I want to travel as Hercule Poirot does. He travels by train and always sits in a first class carriage. He only stays at the finest hotels -his basic requirement is that it employs an excellent chef. He never has to touch a piece of luggage. People recognize the famous detective everywhere he goes. Waiters and hotel staff cater to his every need. His fellow hotel guests are always fashionably dressed - nary a pair of jeans, flip-flops, or scuffed up athletic shoes in sight.

And his clothes never show a wrinkle.

Last night, in celebration of Dame Agatha Christie's birthday, I watched the DVD Murder on the Links. It stars David Suchet as Poirot and he couldn't have been more debonair. He and Hastings have come to Deauville, France; Hastings has just taken up golf and has booked them into a fine hotel with a fine golf course. 

But there is more to be found on the links than lost balls and sand traps. Hastings discovers a body and the mystery begins. 

In this story Hastings, although his golf game doesn't improve, does find romance and, Mon Dieu!, Poirot comes within a whisker of having to shave off his famous moustache to settle a bet.

I recently read this clever puzzler and wrote about it here, so I won't go into it too much, only to say that the film adaption has just as many suspects and surprises as did the book. A really big surprise is that, due to a change of characters, the murderer in the film is different from the killer in the book. Oh, well; I don't care. It is always such fun to see the fashions, room interiors, and location shots in these shows that the plot can take whatever turn it likes.
  
It was all great fun. The only thing missing in this birthday celebration was cake (sigh), and I do love cake.

4 comments:

  1. I've been enjoying reading all your posts ala Agatha Christie, Belle, and knew you would be the one to honor her birthday with a post. Wonderfully done.

    I do enjoy David Suchet as Poirot. Have you had the pleasure of watching the PBS special of Mr. Suchet riding the Orient Express? If not, I think you would enjoy it.

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    1. Thanks, Penny. That Orient Express film was included in one of the Poirot DVDs I rented, but now I can't remember which one! I only had time to watch a few minutes of it. Now if I can figure out which movie it was attached to... I appreciate the tip.

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  2. Oh dear, is changing the murderer a frequent occurrence in AC adaptations?! I think I would need quite a lot of cake to compensate for that. ;-) I haven't read this one for ages - I really need a binge (AC not cake!).

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    1. I know, Vicki. I was a bit confused myself at the change of murderer. I don't think that has happened before! It didn't matter as I loved this one with all the shots of Deauville and the elegant hotel. I would go ahead and binge on Christie AND cake!

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