(The real) Christie meets (the fictional) Poirot! Talk about "high concept"! And although this fascinating idea does not result in a film as great as it could have possibly been, "Murder By The Book" is still a treat for fans of either, or both, of these legendary figures. It's filled with knowing moments and (as far as I know) accurate comments about both, and you can actually see both sides of their conflict: Christie feels burdened by the necessity to include Poirot in many more stories than she would like, while Poirot can't understand why he has to face such a humiliating literary death (for those, like me, who haven't read "Curtain", this film possibly reveals more than they would like to know, though still not too much). Peggy Ashcroft is a fine Agatha and Ian Holm makes a superb Poirot - from the screen portrayals I've seen, he's the one closer to the "definitive" David Suchet. I would say, however, that it's not that hard to guess what's really going on, and that the opening and closing scenes with Christie's husband and her agent are not as engaging as the rest of the film. *** out of 4.
Review of Murder by the Book
Murder by the Book
(II) (1987 TV Movie)
A rare treat for Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot fans
31 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers