Beau Bridges is accused of murdering an older woman who left him money in her will. Can even the great Ralph Richardson, almost sidelined by a heart attack, get him declared not guilty when his wife, Diana Rigg, is testifying against him?
In this remake of the 1957 Billy Wilder movie based on Agatha Christie's stage play, matters proceed pretty much as they did in the original. John Gay and Lawrence Marcus did a brush-up of Wilder's script, while still setting it in 1957. The cast is, of course, very different. Deborah Kerr the nurse. Other distinguished and very able performers appear, including Donald Pleasance, Wendy Hiller, Michael Gough, and Peter Sallis.
Able farceurs all, which makes the decision to focus less on the comedy in Wilder's script an interesting choice. Oh, the bits are still there, with the cigars and brandy and the Bermuda shorts, but they are more amusing distractions from the serious business at hand. They're chuckles, and then back to work. This version concentrates more on Richardson's team than earlier versions, with Richardson's relationship with his clerk, Sallis, in focus.
Because this is based on a play, remakes don't bother me. Certainly, this Hallmark Hall of Fame version has much to recommend it. But then, for my taste, anything with Richardson is wonderful.
In this remake of the 1957 Billy Wilder movie based on Agatha Christie's stage play, matters proceed pretty much as they did in the original. John Gay and Lawrence Marcus did a brush-up of Wilder's script, while still setting it in 1957. The cast is, of course, very different. Deborah Kerr the nurse. Other distinguished and very able performers appear, including Donald Pleasance, Wendy Hiller, Michael Gough, and Peter Sallis.
Able farceurs all, which makes the decision to focus less on the comedy in Wilder's script an interesting choice. Oh, the bits are still there, with the cigars and brandy and the Bermuda shorts, but they are more amusing distractions from the serious business at hand. They're chuckles, and then back to work. This version concentrates more on Richardson's team than earlier versions, with Richardson's relationship with his clerk, Sallis, in focus.
Because this is based on a play, remakes don't bother me. Certainly, this Hallmark Hall of Fame version has much to recommend it. But then, for my taste, anything with Richardson is wonderful.