Saturday, December 15, 2007

"Death" Becomes Her: Review for "Agatha Christie's Poirot: Death on the Nile"

David Suchet returns as the dapper Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. This "film" is part of the A&E series Agatha Christie's Poirot. This is a rather accurate adaptation of the Christie novel of the same. Lynette Ridgeway, played brilliantly by Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) has everything one could imagine. Her friend, Jacqueline de Belfeur, is engaged to Simon Doyle, but poor Doyle is out on his luck. He needs money, so Jaquie decides to be Lynette to give Simon a job on her new estate as land agent. But a few months later, it is announced that Lynette is engaged to Mr. Doyle: she's stolen Jacquie's fiancee! Jacquie is filled with anger and wants revenge, so she follows the two wherever they go: Italy and abroad.When the couple are relaxing peacefully in Aswan, Egypt. Jacquie surprises them with a drunken visit in a ballroom. Miss Ridgewat tries to convince Poirot to try to get Jacquie to use her common sense. The couple then decide to take a trip up the Nile, trying to evade Jacquie; but surprise, surprise, Miss de Belfeur shows up to make the trip misserable, while Poirot watched in earnest. Lynette and Simon take a look at some of the sites, and while they sre restinng, someone dislodges a large ruin which almost kills Lynette! But Jaquie was far from the scene, so she couldn't have done it! That night Jacquie feels unbelievably depressed and gets drunk. In her state, she shoots Simon! During the night Lynette is shot throught the head, and again Jaquie could not have done it! It is up to Monsier Poirot to catch the killer. This adaptation of the classic crime is very good, and pretty accurate. Jacquie's performance is not emotional enough (e.g. she "begs" Lynette to give Simon the job, but she sounds too bored and dull and not enough excited). David Suchet's pervormance is unforggetable, but this Poirot is not as humorous or soft spoken as was in the original PBS Mystery! series.
Grade: B+
Stars: 3.5/5
Stars: 7/10

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