Poirot in Perfection.
Hercule Poirot is one of the most famous detectives in literary history. Yet, strangely, except for his portrayal by Albert Finney in the star-studded movie version of "Murder on the Orient Express," for a long time there did not seem to be an actor who could convincingly bring to life the clever, dignified little Belgian with his unmistakable egg-shaped head, always perched a little on one side, his stiff, military, slightly upward-twisted moustache, and his excessively neat attire, which had reached the point that "a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet," as Agatha Christie introduced him through his friend Captain Hastings's voice in their and her own very first adventure, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" (1920). But leave it to British television to finally find the perfect Poirot in David Suchet, who after having had the dubious honor of playing a rather dumbly arrogant version of Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Japp in some of the 1980s' movies starring...
TV for the non-ADD viewer.
I'll keep this very simple: My wife and I can't watch TV. The programs we find on our television set seem to be written by and for people with Attention Deficit Disorder. After about five minutes of viewing, I am ready to do something as violent as the characters I'm watching. Enter Hercule Poirot, the elegant, brilliant French detective, who with sidekicks Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon provide hours of enjoyment. Throw in a little Chief Inspector Jaap, and you have the recipe for...wait a minute! Did I day French? I meant Belgian! Sorry.
One of the better Poirot episode collections (all details)
Agatha Christie's renowned Belgian detective resolves yet another slate of atmospheric British-themed crimes! Here is a synopsis of each episode. (I've rendered my own relative evaluation of each one on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the best):
VOLUME 1 (Disc One)
The Million-Dollar Bond Robbery -- At the behest of bank officials, Poirot and Hastings accompany a bank representative who is notorious for his gambling on the Queen Mary across the Atlantic to America -- the bank's assets are clearly in jeopardy of being stolen. But Poirot never gets to debark from the ship as the bank's bonds have apparently disappeared along the route so it's back to England in an attempt to solve the mystery. [ 7.5]
The Plymouth Express -- Christie enthusiasts will recognize this yarn as being loosely based upon The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot Series). A financial magnate's daughter is...
Click to Editorial Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment