Murder by the Book (1986)
Agatha Christie’s agents propose that it’s time for her to publish the manuscript she wrote thirty-five years earlier, a novel in which she finally kills off her most famous creation. And it’s not an entirely sad occasion. “That wretched little man,” she says. “He’s always been so much trouble. How is it Miss Marple has never upset me at all, not ever?” That night, who should appear at her doorstep but the wretched little man himself, Hercule Poirot? The great fictional detective and his creator proceed to play a very Christie-like game of cat and mouse for the manuscript – and for their own lives.
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Absolutely Brilliant!
Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
As a definite Agatha Christie addict, I was intrigued to stumble across this little film, offbeat is definitely a word I'd use to describe it. It's an almost comical take on the fact that Christie wrote Curtain many years before it was published. The demand for Poirot novels remained huge, people just loved him, the only fictional character to receive an obituary in the New York times says it all.Dame Peggy Ashcroft is rather charming as Agatha Christie, and Ian Holm does a surprisingly good job as Poirot, very reminiscent of Albert Finney. It's a jolly, frivolous watch, not to be taken too seriously, but it does make you think about Curtain. I've only managed to watch Suchet's 'Curtain' the once, as I hate goodbyes, Christie gave us Poirot, David Suchet kept him alive, now it falls on Sarah Phelps and the BBC to return him this Christmas (2018) and Kenneth Branagh in Death on the Nile (2019.) What this drama shows is that we all love Poirot. Fun, 7/10
(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.
Agatha Christie's agents propose that it's time for her to publish the manuscript she wrote thirty-five years earlier, a novel in which she finally kills off her most famous creation. And it's not an entirely sad occasion. "That wretched little man," she says. "He's always been so much trouble. How is it Miss Marple has never upset me at all, not ever?" That night who should appear at her doorstep but the wretched little man himself, Hercule Poirot.Does that sound like an unbearably cutesy idea? It did to me, but this hour-long story proves to be funny and even a little touching. Poirot is investigating a murder that hasn't yet taken place. He's the intended victim – and Christie herself is the would-be murderess. This leads to a cat-and-mouse game in which Poirot tries to get hold of her manuscript, while she poisons his cocoa to prevent him from interfering with it.The script is filled with in-joke references for mystery fans and Agatha Christie readers. Christie and Poirot even debate the merits of various actors who have played the great Belgian detective. "For some reason," she says, "they always wanted big fat men to play you: Francis Sullivan, Charles Laughton." Poirot replies that Albert Finney wasn't too off the mark, but Christie protests that his "moustache was simply ghastly." Peggy Ashcroft and Ian Holm play creator and creation, and do it so beautifully that they're not only funny but poignant. Christie has a love-hate relationship with her little Belgian, while Poirot feels betrayed by the woman who writes such unflattering descriptions of his appearance and plots such an ignoble demise for him.I shouldn't have been surprised that this situation moved me a bit. Poirot has always seemed to me to live beyond the confines of the printed page, just as many other great literary characters do. And I've always thought it was sad that the real Christie preferred the mildly entertaining Miss Marple – and even the wretched Tommy and Tuppence – to her one truly great character.
Very simply, this is an obviously fictional tale about what happened the night Hercule Poirot paid a visit to Dame Agatha Christie and accused her of murder.And Hercule Poirot is the victim.Poirot visits the author and asks why she has chosen to write a book where Poirot dies. The book was "Curtain," one of Christies best novels, even after a half dozen reads. He becomes particularly indignant when he reads the novel and finds out Poirot dies of a heart attack, as a man of extremely advanced age, and not in a dynamic, exciting way. He even rants about the style of dress Christie has attired him in for over fifty years.The writing is clever, and the acting is wonderful. Ian Holm is no David Suchet, but it doesn't matter. He is always wonderful, and he seems to enjoy playing this character. He does it very well.Clearly this is a tale that takes place in the mind of Agatha Christie. Fans of this delightful author will enjoy this movie.