User Reviews

I haven't been a fan of the new Miss Marple series that began with Geraldine McEwan as the lady sleuth, but this time--with JULIA McKENZIE as the inquisitive old lady, readers of the book should be pleased to know that it follows the original story fairly well. The plot itself is not as gimmicky as some of the other Christie stories and is easy to follow. An alert viewer will realize what's going on from the start, since the incident surrounding the death of movie fan Heather Badcock was based on the true-life case of movie star Gene Tierney's situation involving a fan who got out of her sickbed to greet the actress. From that incident, Miss Christie drew her inspiration for writing this murder mystery centering around the tragic result based on a casual meeting.

As Marina Gregg, the temperamental Hollywood star, LINDSAY DUNCAN does a fine job and her handsome young husband is played well by NIGEL HARMAN. Others in the supporting cast are all proficient and well cast in their respective roles.

The solution is one you can spot coming if you know the background story of the Gene Tierney incident. One of the better Agatha Christie tales to be transposed to the screen, it's interesting from start to finish with never a dull spot or lagging moment.

The book is not Agatha Christie's best, but it was very good and interesting. Likewise with the Joan Hickson adaptation, and the Angela Lansbury film was flawed but enjoyable. When I heard about this version, I was curious in both a good and bad way. Part of me was looking forward to it, seeing as how superb The Blue Geranium was, something that felt like Agatha Christie and had a great tone to it that was missing I think. But part of me was worried, I was hoping it wouldn't be another Sittaford Mystery or At Bertram's Hotel, in short an adaptation that not only was a complete disrespect in detail and spirit to the Queen of Crime but also on its own terms.

After seeing it, I needn't have worried. The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side is one of the better entries of the series, and I also think it is the best adaptation of the book. In fact it is almost perfect, though I think the second murder could have been more drawn out than it was and the story of the photographer could have done with more development.

That said, the adaptation succeeds as an adaptation. The story is wonderful and compelling. Also, it felt like Agatha Christie, the tone was tense when it needed to be, the memorable characters were there and just as interesting and her style was there. While there are some changes, the backbone is still intact, in fact in comparison this is one of the more faithful Marple adaptations. The script does do justice to the book, there are the red herrings and the charming and witty dialogue that makes her work furthermore engrossing.

The adaptation also succeeds on its own terms. The pacing is bright and breezy, while the final scene is quite poignant. The production values are superb, I loved everything about how the adaptation looked, from the way it was shot to the house itself. The music is lovely, some of it is beautiful(the final scene) while some of it is intense and haunting(the scene on the film set about half way through). As always, the cast are impeccable, Julia McKenzie is terrific while Joanna Lumley seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself. Hugh Bonneville at the moment seems to be one of the busiest men on television, and he is interesting, and Nigel Harmon is a nice addition. I also loved Caroline Quentin here, her character is tiresome but Quentin is great, plus this is the best developed Heather Badcock I've seen. The real revelation though is Lindsay Duncan as Marina, she is brilliant and by far and large the best Marina Gregg I know of. Not only in the delivery of the lines, the voice and the gestures but especially her look of what seemed like a combination of guilt and sadness.

All in all, a wonderful adaptation and one of the best. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is an entertaining and suspenseful murder crime movie . Beautiful and veteran film star Marina Gregg (Lindsay Crouse , and in the classic cinematic version played by Elizabeth Taylor) and her young husband move to St. Mary Mead, but their arrival becomes clouded in tragedy . Being last lead starring role in a cinema movie for this actress and directed by his husband , she is attempting to make a comeback to play Nefertiti , after being off-screen for many years due to an emotional breakdown and substance abuse. She is supported by her fifth husband and director of the movie, Jason Rudd ( Nigel Harman , priorly performed by Rock Hudson) . They rent a manor house in St. Mary Mead to Dolly (Joanna Lummley) , Miss Marple's best friend ; and host a reception for the villagers . Then, there appears her former husband and his new wife and things go wrong . At the reception for the fading film star making a screen comeback , a gushing, pushy fan is poisoned by a drink apparently meant for the actress . There she met Gregg briefly before her breakdown and being poisoned by a drink apparently meant for the film star . Because of Gregg's celebrity status, Police Superintendent assigns one of his most skilled and discreet investigators, Inspector Hewitt (Hugh Bonneville , prepiously performed by Edward Fox) who is helped by Miss Marple (Julia McKenzie) . Together they set about investigating the murder , death threats and jealousy associated with the case .

The plot is plain and simple : A troubled Hollywood star celebrates a party when a fan is fatally poisoned during the garden fête, as Miss Marple to investigate it ; Who is the killer ? . This movie was made and released about fifty years after Agatha Christie's source novel of the same name was first published in 1962. The film is a detective story in which you are the detective . In the picture there is mystery , emotion , suspense , actors's interpretations are acceptable and including wonderful outdoors . The support cast is pretty good such as Joanna Lumley , Hugh Bonneville , Michele Dotrice , Charlotte Riley , Will Young and special mention for Linsay Duncan as the veteran and bittered actress . The movie gets a lush costume design by Sheena Napier and adequate production design by Jeff Tessler . Colorful and sunny cinematography by Cinders Forshaw . This Miss Marple episode was efficiently directed by Tom Shankland .

Miss Marple was firsly played by Margaret Rutherford who had made the role famous during the 1960s. Following Angela Lansbury with the film Crack Mirror (1980) by Guy Hamilton became the second actress to play Miss Marple on the big screen, after Lansbury was the fourth if one counts TV where Gracie Fields and Inge Langen also played Marple. Subsequently in TV was starred by Joan Hickson who played a successful series . And finally Agatha Christie's Marple series starred by Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple . This Tv movie had a former and known rendition directed by Guy Hamilton in 1980 with all-star-cast as Elizabeth Taylor , Kim Novak , Rock Hudson , Edward Fox , among others . Rating : Decent and acceptable , well worth watching . The flick will appeal to suspense lovers and Agatha Christie novels buffs .

This is a truly fantastic production. What seems to please most is how faithful it is to the text, just as they did with A pocketful of Rye.

The cast are simply glorious, very varied, all well known, all deliver. Jennifer Lumley reprises her role as Dolly Bantry, talk about perfect casting, so energetic and outlandish, lots of fun.

The show stealer is Lindsay Duncan, I never thought anyone would come even close to Clare Bloom, Duncan does, fabulous, glamorous, perfect casting. She delivers the main scene superbly well, The Doom has come upon me.....

Superb production values and costumes, it looks lavish, Hannah Waddingham looks amazing in that red dress.

I am pleased they stayed faithful to the text, it's a great story, a great mystery, very well paced it doesn't lull. This is a wonderful version. 10/10

Miss Marple is thrilled when one of her favourite movie stars, Marina Gregg, and her husband, director Jason Rudd, move to her village of St Mary Mead. Ms Gregg and her husband throw a housewarming party and, unfortunately, Miss Marple is injured shortly beforehand, so can't attend. The party turns out to be very eventful as one of the guests, Heather Badcock, dies of an overdose of anti-depressants in her cocktail. Ms Gregg suspects the poison was meant for her, a fear which is justified when her coffee is poisoned on a film set. The police, aided by Miss Marple, investigate.

The best of the Miss Marple series. Very intriguing mystery, quite plausible in its back story, and quite simple in its implementation. For once it's about the characters and everyday human motives, rather than a fantastical, long-winded story.

Miss Marple is less bland than usual but the episode is aided and abetted considerably by the presence of Joanna Lumley as Marple's friend Dolly Bantry. She gives the episode a great deal of colour.

Gridoon did so well with their review until it got all sexist. For me, the movie with the redoubtable and fabulous Angela Lansbury didn't quite work. Everybody did their job, but, much as I adore her, Miss Lansbury was not right for the role. It's taken me some time to get used to Julia McKenzie, but I'm enjoying her now. I like that the UK television versions are less 'Hollywood', but I also love the glossy Peter Ustinov movies. Overall, I reckon that this is true enough to the book to be valid, the acting is as good as any and the production has a lot more dedication to the original. The Agatha Christie stories will never be bettered, the books will remain the best. Modern audiences demand a different pace and are perhaps not as willing to accept that these mysteries are not, and never were, written to be on screen, they are not fast paced or high drama. Each adaptation has to stand or fall on it's own merits, I don't see any reason for this one to fall, I enjoyed it and I'm old school.

Along with "Murder at the Vicarage", "The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side" is my personal favorite Miss Marple story that the almighty Agatha Christie penned down. It simply is a fabulous murder mystery/whodunit that is compelling, misleading, intelligent and unpredictable. The first time you read the novel (or watch any of the adaptations into film/TV-movie), it's downright impossible to guess the denouement, and even after repeated viewings it remains surprising and original. I often genuinely wonder where Agatha Christie kept finding the inspiration to come up with dozens of convoluted crime stories like these, without ever repeating or becoming a caricature of herself? This one is even inspired by a true story.

I was looking forward to this installment, although with caution. Unlike most entries in the "Agatha Christie's Marple" series, the source novel once already received a glorious and big-budgeted movie-treatment, and it will be difficult to top a version that starred Angela Lansbury, Elisabeth Taylor, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, Geraldine Chaplin, Charles Gray and Edward Fox. "The Mirror Crack'd", released in 1980 and directed by Guy Hamilton, is - as you can probably guess - a huge favorite of mine.

The story, set in the year of its publishing - 1962, takes place near the quiet village of St. Mary Mead, that has changed quite a bit since the initial Marple stories like "The Body in the Library" and "Murder at the Vicarage". Exciting times for the little village, though, since the immensely popular American starlet Marina Rudd purchased herself a fancy country estate in St. Mary Mead, and moved her with her new (and fifth!) husband after a long period of depressions. During a welcoming party event at the house, where almost the entire village is invited, a seemingly random woman instantly dies from poisoning. When eyewitness confirm that the lady, Heather Babcock, actually drank Mrs. Rudd's glass because hers got spilled, leads this to the deduction that Marina Rudd was the intended victim, and there are plenty of suspects with a motive to kill her.

Less exciting than the 1980 film version, less compelling than the original novel, but nevertheless the unfolding of the mystery is still tense, with a few efficient red herrings and secretive characters. Some of the roles remain underdeveloped here versus in the novel, like that of rival Lola Brewster or the good old butler role. The cast is decent, more than decent even, but the 1980-cast is impossible to erase from your memory.

A showing of a recent version of the film "Marie Antoinette," directed by Jason Rudd (Nigel Harman), and starring Marina Gregg (Lindsay Duncan) with Marie Thérèse (Isabella Parriss) and Louis Charles (Gene Goodman) as her children, preceding a "British Cinematone News" reel, announcing that famous actress Marina Gregg and her (fifth) husband, Director Jason Rudd, have purchased an estate in St. Mary Mead.

House lights activate to guide the audience along the aisles, while Miss Jane Marple (Julia McKenzie, in her fifth turn in the role) and neighbor Dolly Bantry (Joanna Lumley) enter the lobby to discuss the report that these two celebrities (Marina and Jason, who have met on the set of "Marie Antoinette" and have since married) plan to relocate to their community, and to Goston Hall, which Dolly has owned with late husband, Arthur.

Marina Gregg and young groom, Jason Rudd, indeed, arrive to welcome neighbors Dolly and Miss Marple for tea, but Miss Marple turns her ankle and becomes advised by Doctor Haydock (Neil Stuke) not to attend Marina and Jason's garden party for charity, to which she and Dolly have been invited.

Cherry Baker (Olivia Darnley) tends to Miss Marple's care and socializes with Primrose Dixon (Lois Jones), an employee of Marina and Jason's, who serves as a maid at their gathering, and reports information to Miss Marple through a curious Cherry.

Doctor Haydock attends the reception, meeting hosts and their employees and guests who are welcomed upstairs. Employees include Ella Blunt (Victoria Smurfit), Jason Rudd's Secretary, and Hailey Preston (Brennan Brown), Marina's Personal Assistant.

Guests include Counselor and Mrs. Hubbard (Michele Dotrice) and Heather Badcock (Caroline Quentin), Secretary of Association (who has assisted Jane Marple in her recovery), and Dolly Bantry, who snoops around her former residence with Mrs. Hubbard.

Margot Bence (Charlotte Riley) sneaks into the gathering to photograph the event and is spotted around corners and staircases with her active camera. She operates a studio, which Dolly and Miss Marple patronize when additional snooping call a bit later on.

Vincent Hogg (Martin Jarvis), entertainment columnist arrives with Lola Brewster (Hannah Waddingham) to crash the reception. Vincent has been one of Marina's former husbands, while Lola has been involved with Jason in the past.

But when a victim passes out and perishes after consuming narcotic-laced alcohol, Scotland Yard Inspector Hewitt (Hugh Bonneville) and Sergeant Tiddler (Samuel Barnett) arrive to investigate this overdose of anti-depressants and consider the possibility of murder, which seems to have been intended for a different victim.

As the authorities visit Miss Marple, who has been learning of various accounts of events transpiring at the manor, she, also, begins to conclude various scenarios, as Marina prepares for her next role as "Queen Nefertiti," under Jason's direction, opposite Gay actor Casey Croft (Will Young), about whom Marina complains for touching her. Maisie Cooper (Anna Anderson) participates in the second film play-within-a-play in a supporting role.

Along with Jason and his employees Ella Blunt, Primrose Dixon and Hailey Preston on hand at the studio, as well as the visiting Lola Brewster, Vincent Hogg, Margot Bence, Dolly Bantry and Miss Marple herself, many observe a temperamental Marina's reacting harshly to a substance which has been slipped into her coffee server.

But back at the scene of the first crime, a second body is discovered, as a result of cyanide poisoning.

And now, as Inspector Hewitt and Sergeant Tiddler continue to question witnesses and possible suspects, Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple attempts to solve the murders from a distance, after hearing first-hand accounts, and her re-thinking of a clue from "The Lady of Shilot," involving the line, "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side."

Has any of this to do with adoptive children Margot and Angus, or handicapped birth son, Bobby? Will an injured Miss Marple be able to confront her suspect before a possible third murder transpires?

The cast is rounded out by Julie Salter as Banquet Guest, Jonathan Coyne as French Officer, Simon John Wilson as Press Reporter, Don Gallagher as Man in Livery, and Darren Petrucci in an unidentified role (possibly as ring-leader in the "Marie Antoinette" segment).